Tag: Big Kids

Emily’s First Communion Portrait Session at Catholic Church of the Nativity

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Emily's First Communion Photos at Catholic Church of the Nativity

Forgive me if my eyes are leaking a little over these pictures. It’s been five years since I photographed Haley’s First Communion Photos.  Two years ago, it was middle sister Hannah’s turn. And now I can’t believe it’s already baby Emily’s turn. I’ve been photographing Emmy since the moment she was born.

I cannot even begin to explain what an honor and privilege it is to be able to capture so many children as they grow. When I look at Emmy, I see so many beautiful moments as photographs in my mind, and I feel pretty lucky to have been a part of those moments with her.

Looking for a photographer in Spring Hill, Franklin, and Columbia in Middle Tennessee? I photograph families at all stages, from newborns to seniors. See my website for more information or to book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you would consider following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Family of Four at Country Cove Farms

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Family of Four Session at Country Cove Farms

I just love photographing old friends, and Shelly is one of my oldest. She and I met in college (just a few years ago), and I also had the amazing privilege of photographing Samuel’s birth. It was great to see them at Country Cove Farms for this family session.

I would love to find a place a bit closer for next year that has rows of Christmas trees like this if anyone knows of a place.

Looking for a photographer in Spring Hill, Franklin, and Columbia in Middle Tennessee? I photograph families at all stages, from newborns to seniors. See my website for more information or to book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you would consider following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Winter Family Photos in Franklin TN | Franklin Family Photographer

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Nashville Family Photographer winter photo session in Franklin TN

Happy New Year! This outdoor winter family photo session in Franklin was a perfect way to end 2020. Thanks so much to everyone who has trusted me to be your family photographer for 2020. It truly is an honor to be trusted to capture your family memories. 2020 has been such a crazy, trying year for everyone, but when I look back at all the photos I’ve taken this year, what stands out is just all the love.

This photo session is a perfect example of why I always say that winter is a great time for family photos. We had beautiful mild weather for this session, but I love the cold ones too. In 2020 style, I have gotten to know Mona virtually this year, and it was so great to finally meet her and her beautiful family in real life.

I hope 2021 brings you all many beautiful family moments, lots of love and tons of slow news days.

I would love it if you could follow me on Instagram. If you are looking for a Franklin Family Photographer, you can book a session directly from my online booking calendar, or contact me if you have questions. I have added dates for January through March 2021, and will be added April through June soon. Please contact me if you need a specific date.

Are Mini Sessions Right for You? | Nashville Family Photographer

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Crystal Freemon Photography Spring Hill TN Mini Sessions

I avoided mini sessions for the longest time, preferring to stick with full-length family portrait sessions. I finally caved this year and began offering some 25-minute mini sessions at the Country Cove Christmas tree farm in Murfreesboro.

Reasons I didn’t want to offer Mini Sessions

I pride myself on capturing images of clients being relaxed and carefree. Sometimes that takes a while and I don’t like feeling rushed. I like to get to know families at a portrait session. I strive to take photographs that capture who they are and how they relate as a family at this point in their lives.

Sometimes, a child or teen, or an adult shows up at a session feeling apprehensive and self-conscious. Maybe a child feels shy at first. Or Dad has been conditioned by studio portraits to be flashing me an uncomfortable smile constantly. Maybe mom is super stressed because they were running late or someone spit-up on the drive over.

By after about 30 minutes of chatting, playing, and being goofy, I find that most people become relaxed and start acting more like themselves. Shy toddlers warm up to me. Dad gets it that I want him to play and interact with the kids. The stress has drained out of mom’s face as things seem to be going better than she expected. All this means that the second half of a one-hour session often holds my favorite images from a family portrait session.

Even more than that, a lot of my favorite images from photo sessions come after we are officially done. When we are chatting and strolling back to our cars. Often, this is when everyone lets their guard down and I notice something special and click a quick “last” photo that becomes one of my favorites. If I’m rushing from session to session, then this relaxed last photo doesn’t get to happen.

Why I decided to offer Mini Sessions Anyway

The biggest reason I decided to give in and offer mini sessions this year are because it had gotten to the point that I couldn’t handle October. Everyone wants photos in October and there are only so many hours in the day.

Mini sessions not only allow me to shoot the sessions in a shorter time, but also it cuts down on editing. I’m importing the photos all at once, culling them in one swipe, and blogging them all at once. Editing is the task I spend by far the most amount of time on. So while I still have to edit a lot of photos, the process is streamlined.

I’m able to shoot more clients and turn fewer people away during the fall portrait season. Also, I am able to offer them at a price that is easier on the client’s budget.

Mini Sessions are not for Everyone

I’ve decided that mini sessions work well for certain clients. Others should stick to full-size portrait sessions, at least at first. The four sessions I photographed this week give a good example of what kind of families are best suited to mini sessions. I will explain why each of them was a good fit.

Family of Three with toddler

Toddlers are my favorite. One of the reasons why they are my favorite is because they are so unpredictable and full of energy. I love that, but also it can mean it can take a while to get all the photos I’d like for a session. Nolan was full of energy at this session. But because it was just him, I feel like I was able to get enough photos that I’m happy with during the mini session. If there had been multiple children, I may have had a hard time getting the appropriate group shots in the short 25 minute time frame. I was able to focus primarily on him and didn’t have to divide my time between multiple kids. Also, I have worked with this family before, which helps a lot as I will discuss more below.

So a family of three is perfect for a mini session. Aren’t they the cutest? And I love the color of his shirt. Perfect.

Country Cove Christmas Tree Farm Mini Portrait Sessions
Family well suited to being photographed

OK, I just hinted that mini sessions might not be the best if you have two young children. And now I’m showing you two young girls (ages 6 and 3) who knocked it out of the park. But they had a few advantages that I think helped. First of all, mom stated in her survey that the girls were pretty happy having their picture taken. I found that to be true.

Also, I had photographed this family before. One can argue that it doesn’t count because it was years ago when Rowan was just a toddler and Caroline had not been born. Clearly, the girls did not remember having a session with me. But the person who usually most benefits from knowing what to expect at a session is dad. James jumped right into this session being silly and playful and fun, and that makes all the difference in the world.

From now on if people have trouble decided what to wear for a session, I’m sending them to Elizabeth. ❤️

Crystal Freemon Photography Holiday Mini Sessions
Family who has grown up with me as their photographer

This one was a no-brainer. When Margaret signed up for one of the mini-sessions I was immediately happy and knew it would be a great fit. I’ve photographed these two kids their entire lives, including Grayson’s birth. I have lost track of how many sessions that has been. There is no “get to know you” time needed. As always, we had a great time. Though I was sad it was only for 25 minutes.

Nashville Family Photography Christmas Tree Farm Sessions
Family with older kids / teens who I can relate to

This family had a definite advantage in that all the kids were old enough to stand and do whatever I told them to do. However, I wouldn’t automatically assume a min session is a good fit for teens or tweens. Some kids that age can take quite a bit of time to warm up to having their photo taken and may need the entire hour.

I had never met this family before really (other than maybe in passing at school events), but I felt a connection to them already. In the past few months, Leslie and I have become “internet friends”. We have a lot of common and are in some of the same groups. Because of the pandemic, we haven’t had the chance to get together and hang out in real life, but I do feel like I’ve gotten to know her a little. And my oldest daughter is friends with one of the boys and was in drama with him. I believe all that helps in having clients start to feel at ease at a session, and helps everyone to relax quicker than if we had no connection at all and they were meeting a complete stranger.

That’s the most words I’ve put into a blog post in a long time, but it was a four in one. I guess the big question is will I do min sessions again? Yes, I think I will, and now I will be able to point clients to this blog post to help them decide if mini sessions are a good fit for their family. Maybe I can offer them other times of the year as well. I’ve been thinking about summer sunflower field sessions maybe?

Are you following me on Instagram? That’s a great place to keep up to date on future openings. I have a couple spots left for my Holiday Family Mini Sessions. Or are you looking for a senior photographer? Either way, you can book a session directly from my online booking calendar, or contact me if you have questions.

Family Portrait Session For Hometown Friends

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This gorgeous family traveled from my hometown, Elizabethton TN, for their family portrait session, and I am so glad they did! Whitney is the best friend of my amazing sister-in-law, which kind of makes her like extended family. You might recognize sweet Zoe from photos I’ve taken at my niece’s birthday parties and other such events.

But this is the first time I’ve been able to do an actual family portrait session for them. They combined our session with a weekend family getaway to the Opryland hotel, which I thought was a fantastic idea. They were able to visit the ICE! at Gaylord Opryland and all the holiday fun at the hotel. Then, before returning to East Tennessee, they met me at Winstead Hill Park in Franklin for a fun fall family portrait session.

The weather was gorgeous, which was my one fear… I wasn’t sure how we would reschedule if the weather didn’t cooperate, considering the 5 1/2 hours they traveled to get here. But we couldn’t have asked for a better day, and they were so much fun to photograph. Zoe is a natural in front of the camera and so much fun to be around. As a side-note, I love the rose pink color of your outfit and think it worked perfectly for fall photos.

Let’s pretend Fall is really here.

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It’s supposed to be Fall Family Portrait Season. Someone needs to tell summer it’s time to go.

I like my weather forecast with a side of humor. When you are in a job that is so weather dependent, it helps to be able to laugh. If you aren’t following US National Weather Service Nashville, you are missing out. Not only do they do a great job keeping everyone informed, they make me laugh pretty often.

NashSevereWX is another good one to follow.

The good thing is, I think this LOOKS like a Fall Portrait Session. I mean, would you have known it was 100 degrees outside if I hadn’t told you? Well, I guess they aren’t dressed in way that would make you think “chilly, fall day”, but they are gorgeous nonetheless.

I’ve been friends with this beautiful family for about five years now and have been photographing them since 2015, when they won their first session through a Silent Auction for the school. Looking back at those photos from four years ago, it feels like time is flying so quickly. These babies aren’t babies anymore. What’s funny is that I see them quite often, but sometimes it takes looking through the lens to really SEE how quickly they change, even since last year. #Dontblink

I am grateful to have them in my life and ot be able to capture their wonderful personalities. Some of these photos made me laugh out loud when I was editing. 🤣

Repeat Portrait clients are my favorite

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One of my favorite things about my job as a family portrait photographer is getting to know families, especially when they come back for repeat sessions.  I photographed this beautiful family around this time last year and just loved getting to know these three beautiful sisters, so I was so excited to see them again this year. 

Last year I wrote: “They are totally my happy place. So much energy, and wonder and joy.  They were just perfect.”  I would say exactly the same thing about our session this year.  Only one thing was different…

Last year for their session, I wrote about how important it is to tell me if one of your children is particularly shy before the session. That lets me know that I need to maybe approach that child a little differently and give her time to warm up to me.  

But you know what’s great about being able to see client again and again?  This time, the children remembered me, and they knew that the session wouldn’t be scary or boring.  They came into it knowing we’d play and have fun.  This makes it especially easier for kids who may be a little shy.  Knowing me coming it to it, they feel more at ease and have an easier time getting into the session.

And I got the chance to see how much they’d grown over the year, and hear about their new interests and what brings them joy.  (New Harry Potter fans are the BEST.)  

Bold Beautiful color – Spring Hill Family photographer

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I’m so in love with the beautiful wardrobe choices that my friend Emily made for her family’s summer portrait session. I admittedly don’t feel like the best person to be giving advice about wardrobe choices, as fashion has never been a topic I have felt particularly comfortable with, but I absolutely know what I like for a session when I see it, and this is it. 

I’m drawn to colorful photographs and prefer rich, deep colors & jewel tones. I don’t mind a good neutral color scheme either, but its colorful choices like the ones below that I really love.

Lucy’s dress is definitely the focal point, and when choosing clothing for a family photo session, that’s a great way to start…pick one person’s outfit (doesn’t really matter who) to be the focal point and then build the rest of the choices around that one piece.  I’m obsessed with this deep mustard like yellow color, as I think it looks beautiful in most outdoor photos (deep purple is also a fantastic choice). But I do warn clients to be careful with yellow, because if it’s too neon, it can create a color cast on the person’s face which is really hard to correct in post processing. But Lucy’s dress is just right.

And I love how Maggie is wearing a bit more neutral of a top to balance out the bold print of Lucy’s dress, but ties in the floral pattern in her shorts. And mom’s orange pants are the perfect pop of color and look beautiful with the mustard. It all comes together looking beautifully coordinated, but not to matchy matchy.

What do you think? What are your favorite colors for photographs? 

The Good Memories

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I’m really struggling with how to start off this post, so I’m going to jump right into it. 

This is my beautiful friend Chelsea and her daughter Molly.  Chelsea is one of the most kind hearted and loving people I’ve ever met and would literally give the shirt off of her back to anyone who needs it. And my heart is hurting for her.

I’ve been photographing Chelsea & Molly for several years now.  Last year, she wanted to include her parents and her brother Chris in their session. Chelsea’s brother, Chris, had recently gotten out of jail.  He had struggled with addiction for years, but at the time, was clean and doing very well and the family was full of hope for his future.  We met at Harlinsdale Farms and it was a gorgeous evening full of laughter and love, and of course photographs.

On Saturday, I photographed this session for Chelsea & Molly.  They are one of my favorite families to photograph always, as the love and connection between these two is truly something special to capture.

On Sunday, Chelsea’s brother Chris lost his long battle with addiction.

Chelsea and her parents received the heartbreaking phone call that he had been found unresponsive at home and it was later confirmed that he died of an accidental overdose.

They loved him so and his loss is is heartbreaking for their family.

I sat with Chelsea last night and listened to her talk about her brother & how much she loved him. It has been years of heartbreak for her family, but she wants to focus on all of the good memories she has of him.  I didn’t really know Chris at all, but I do know that he looked at his sister and his niece with such admiration and love. 

As they mourn the loss of his precious life, Chelsea and her family hope that Chris’s story may help someone else to seek the help they need to overcome addiction.  And to seek help again, and again and again, until they beat it, if that’s what is necessary. When lost in addiction, a person might believe that their life doesn’t matter.  But I promise you, it matters.  Addiction impacts so many people and has reached epidemic proportions. Below are the beautiful faces of people who have been heartbroken by this disease. 

Chelsea & her family are asking that anyone who would like to honor Chris’s memory do so by making a donation to the Dismas House of Nashville.  The Dismas house believes that second chances saves lives, and their mission is to provide a safe haven for offenders transferring out of prison to aid them in beginning a new life. 

If you need more information about addiction resources, check out Bradford Health or call 1-888-577-0012.

Photo Session Location Selection – Light & a good dose of Imagination

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Sometimes, clients already have an idea of the type of location they would like to use for their family portraits, and other times they come to me for suggestions.  Sometimes, my suggestions sound a little crazy and not like a “normal” place that you would want to have photos made.

You have to use your imagination.

Lucky for me, if you are a client who is also my friend, then you trust me when I say “meet me by the U-Haul place off the side of the street. That’s exactly what Erin did without blinking, and I love her for it.

I happened to notice the spot when I was scouting for light before our session, and it just called out to me.  I snapped the first two photos below with my cell phone, just so I could show you how ridiculous it probably looked as a location option.  It’s really kind of a dirty, uninteresting stretch of road with a broken down old building, a billboard facing the interstate, and a parking lot full of U-haul trucks.

But on this particular day, the light, the clouds, the wildflowers, a little fence and the way the weeds were growing caught my eye.  Now, if I go back in a few weeks, I might find the place completely uninspiring, but for Saturday, it worked.  So I wanted to show it to you as an example of how it might look to you, versus how it looks through my camera.  

For when scouting out locations for a portrait session, the most important factor is the light, and then a healthy dose of imagination to see what it might look like through the lens of the camera. 

Summer family portrait session at harlinsdale farms

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What an absolutely gorgeous day it was for this family portrait session at Harlinsdale Farms in Franklin. We had the best time exploring the farm and goofing off.  These boys were just too much fun and I just adore all their expressions and interactions.

Summer is almost over and I’m booking Fall sessions now!  These will fill up fast, so don’t wait to book your spot!

Please note that there are currently two different options for choosing a date on my calendar.  One is for August sessions and for Fall weekday session where you may choose the location for your session.

The other choice is my Fall weekend session calendar. In order to get in as many clients as I can for the busy season, I will be choosing the session locations for these dates so that I may book clients back to back at the same location. On the calendar, you will see the tentative locations for these dates. However, it is possible these may change depending on how the locations look once Fall comes. 

You too can survive an outdoor summer portrait session

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Yes, it’s hot.  I admit it.  It’s summer in Tennessee. But it is possible to have a beautiful outdoor family portrait session in Summer, and to look as gorgeous as this family does, if you just follow a few easy tips.

1. Schedule your session for magic hour (the hour before sunset). 

I always prefer sessions to be booked at magic hour, because that is when you get the most beautiful light. But this is especially true in summer, because let’s face it…none of us are going to survive the mid day heat.

2. Choose a location with lots of shade.

This walking trail is one of my favorite spots for summer (and all year really) because it has gorgeous light, and plenty of shade to shelter us from the heat and scorching sun. 

3. Dress for the weather

If you try to make these look like fall portraits, you are going to end up a hot sweaty mess.  Shorts are wonderful, and light weight summer dresses are perfect for summer sessions. It won’t matter how pretty your clothes are if you or your children are uncomfortable during the session. And remember my style of photography, and expect your kids to be running, jumping and playing…all the more reason to make sure their clothes are comfortable. 

4. Stay hydrated. 

I’ve taken to carrying a few water bottles with me recently to help clients stay refreshed, but if you think to bring along a few, that’s always a good idea.

I am so glad this family chose to brave the weather for a summer session because it was such a joy to meet them and photograph them. The personality in these two boys just had me smiling throughout my time editing these. I cannot wait to work on the rest of them.

What is keeping you from booking family portraits?

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So many times, I meet families who have never had a professional family portrait session.  I feel very honored to have been chosen by Andra for her family’s first photo session, and I really loved photographing her beautiful family. Owen and William were so easy to work with and we had so much fun together. These are the type of clients that I so enjoy meeting and hope to be able to see again year after year.

For those of you who have not ever booked a family portrait session, I’m curious as to what holds you back. I know that family portraits are a real investment, and it could be that it’s just not in your budget, which is a valid reason (though often it may be more about priorities than actually budget constraints).  But I suspect that rather than the budget, it’s likely fear that the session will be difficult and stressful, or maybe even impossible, that holds many families back.

So maybe if I tell you a little more about how booking a session works, and what to expect at a session, it wont sound so overwhelming.

You can book a session either through my online calendar, or just email or message me to work out a date (Fall fills up fast though, and I will be releasing those dates soon, so don’t wait for those spots.)  I know lots of clients stress about what will happen if it rains on their session date…no worries. I won’t make you shoot indoors or in the rain if you don’t want to (though both of those is an option!)  Rescheduling if it rains is usually no big deal.

After you’ve booked, you will receive emails from me to help you through the process, such as tips on what to wear, but please don’t ever hesitate to ask if you have questions.

But I think the biggest part parents stress about, is what to expect at the session itself…and in particular, whether or not young kids will “cooperate” for a family portrait session.

So here is what I want to help you to understand: 

The only thing I expect / want kids to do at a family portrait session is to be themselves.

Really.  That’s it.  

At a session, I generally start with trying to get a quick family portrait of everyone.  This usually works pretty well to get a photo of everyone looking at the camera, as they have not yet become distracted.  But what I’m not going to do is stand there for 30 minutes trying to get everyone perfectly posed. That’s just going to result in everyone becoming bored and/or frustrated.  That’s not what beautiful memories are made of…and I want you and your kids to ENJOY the session.  Not just to have lovely pictures when it’s over. 

So we will only spend a couple minutes on any particular “pose”, and then will will take some time to play.  Yes, that’s right…there is a lot of playing at a session.  I don’t do a lot of posing, but I do a lot of guiding. Mostly what I’m trying to capture are interactions between your family because that’s what inspires me. 

So with this lovely family below, you will see one of my first shots of the session is the more posed family shot of everyone looking at the camera.

After that, we went for a little walk down the path as I spoke to the boys and got to know them a little. I took a few individual shots of Owen to work on my lighting while baby brother just chilled.  Then, since he seemed agreeable, I went for another family shot. My favorite below is one where I let mom and dad and Owen know that they didn’t need to look at me, but just asked if they could help get William to laugh. I love these kinds of shots because it shows the family interacting together, and not just with the camera…though I do occasionally ask everyone took look at me, as you can see in the third shot below.

Then we just had some play time where I worked on getting shots of Owen and William both together and individually as they played.  I guided them to race, play ring around the roses, jump (playing Simon Says), and generally just explore.  If there something the little one doesn’t want to do, that’s totally fine.  I don’t HAVE to have a photo of them jumping, or playing ring around the roses, or whatever.  I’m just working to get them having fun and acting natural. This is like the exact opposite of when you go to Sears Portraits or wherever ever and have to stand on the x.  There really is no x, and very little standing still…I promise.

After we played, we walked to another spot and I wanted to try to get some seated family portraits. At this point, it’s typical for a toddler especially to become bored and tired. No problem.  In this case, I offered William a sucker (with mom’s permission) and he happily sat down with his family. We have several shots of him holding the sucker, which I personally think is fine, and then at some point, I asked him if dad could hold his sucker for a minute. So now you know the secret that dad is hiding a sucker out of view in the last picture below.  So we were able to get the shot and keep William happy, but even if we hadn’t, that would have been fine too because I had lots of shots earlier in the session. 

After that, we headed to the playground. Lots of my favorite locations have playgrounds and I love including them at the end of a session because then the kids think they are “done” with the photos, but really sometimes I get my favorite shots there, while they are just being kids and enjoying themselves. 

So really that is all there is to it…a little bit of posing, but mostly talking and laughing and playing. And suckers at the end. 

So what is holding you back? Is there anything else you need to know in order to be ready to book a family photo session? 

Through the eyes of a child – Childhood photography

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“If we could all see the world through the eyes of a child, we would see the magic of everything.”

The wind in her hair.

The feel of the grass between her toes, and the sun on her face. 

The feel and look of the dandelion her brother blows in her face.

The flowers, weeds, rocks, sticks to explore.

Feeling the bark on the tree, playing peekaboo.

Hugs.

Races.

Being taught by big brother to play airplane, ring around the roses.

Tiny hands, and feet, and eyelashes.

Bunny rabbits and puppies on the path.

Shadows. 

These are things we pass by almost every single day, mostly without thought.  But to view them through the eyes of a two year old suddenly turns them into magic.  And we think we are teaching them. 

What to do in case of rain at your family portrait session

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“A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost.” – Marion Garretty

This session had to be rescheduled due to rain last week, but oh my goodness, did they get a beautiful day on Saturday.  There just isn’t more perfect weather than that.  Too bad it didn’t hold out for Sunday…when I had to reschedule another family session. I loved playing with these sweet sisters in the gorgeous sunshine for their family photo session. 

I often get the question about what happens if it rains on the day of a scheduled session, or if there is other types of bad weather.

First of all, if it’s just cold (or even snowy!), I would suggest we go ahead with the session as planned and you make sure you have warm clothes, toboggans, gloves, etc for your family.  These can be lovely in photos.

If it’s raining, there are a few options we can consider:

  • We can reschedule to the closest available session date convenient for both your family and myself. In the fall when it’s busiest, I usually have a few dates designated as rain dates.  Other times of the year, I can typically fit you in pretty close to your original date.
  • If it’s not raining horribly, I have been known to shoot in the rain.  I have lovely clear umbrellas and this can be a fun, different take on a session.
  • We can change the location from an outdoor spot, to somewhere indoor.  A great option is always your home, as that highlights your family’s life at this moment in time.  Another option is the Factory at Franklin, though they charge a $50 permit fee that you would be responsible for paying.

So there are a few options, but most clients end up rescheduling if there is rain and that’s perfectly fine.

The only thing I ask is that we wait fairly close to the day of the photo session to make a decision.  The weather around here can change so suddenly…I don’t want to reschedule a session too early just to have it turn into a beautiful day.  

Too bad the weather can’t always be as perfect as it was for this session.

Treat your photo session like a fun family outing

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I prefer children (and parents) to have fun and be carefree at our photo shoots….often thinking of them more like playdates than photo sessions.  I believe that the memory associated with family photos should be a fun one, and not a memory of a stressful experience.  To me, creating a pleasant experience is just as important as the final product. 

Lana understood this vision completely and decided to bring along a picnic basket to their family session, and I absolutely love that idea. 

My style is very candid and natural, and I’m not really into props in the traditional photography sense. I do bring a variety of blankets for clients to sit on, but you won’t find me with much more than that. 

But what I do love to include in sessions is anything that a family would naturally have or do at an outing.  As a lifestyle photographer, my goal is portray your family in everyday situations, being together as you naturally would.  So a picnic is a great idea of something to include.  To me, the difference between this and a “prop” is that the picnic basket is something you would truly do in your ordinary life.  Unlike, for example, an choreographed backdrop or scene.  

There are lots of ideas of things you could do to add some fun to your family session. I’m going to list some ideas below, but the big thing is that whatever it is, it is something that fits YOUR FAMILY….something you’d normally enjoy together.

Ideas to do during a family session:

  • Bring a picnic (like Lana did!)
  • Bring a cooler of popsicles to enjoy at the end of the session…perfect for summer fun.
  • Have me to your home at your outdoor pool for a fun family session. 
  • Invite me to your family farm to capture a day in the life.
  • Do an at home lifestyle session and bake Christmas Cookies (or your Grandma’s favorite recipe) together as a family
  • Decorate the Christmas Tree at an indoor session
  • Bring a football, or other sport you enjoy together, to an outdoor session
  • Have an indoor session in your game room 
  • Bring your bicycles to an outdoor family session

The options are endless.  And of course, you don’t have to bring anything at all other than an open attitude about having fun at the session and enjoying the time with your family. 

How to Choose a Photographer

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I just love photographing this family so much.  They are friends, but also one of my oldest clients. I am always excited to photograph them.  When I think about my perfect clients, this is one of the families on my list.  

When I first started photographing people professionally, I thought that I was supposed to accept every client who inquired about a session.  I’ve come to learn over the past few years that not everyone who comes to me about a session is a good fit, and that is perfectly OK.  Part of my job is to help people to decide whether or not I’m the right choice for them.  I’ve realized that people don’t always know how to go about finding the right photographer for them.

Often, people find a photographer in one of two ways:  Google, or a friend’s referral.  Both of these are great resources, but they should really only be step one. You should also look through the website of the photographer you are considering and evaluate whether or not they are a really a good fit for you based upon a few things:

Specialization:

You generally want a photographer who specializes in the type of photography you are looking for.  Now, there is definitely some crossover here.  I consider myself a children & family photographer, but for me that also includes seniors, and newborns.  Toddlers are my passion, but I enjoy all types of families. 

But you would be surprised at the number of inquiries I get about wedding photography (also applies: head shots).  I always wonder where these come from…. my website is full of pictures of young children and families.  Could I do a better job than your Uncle Bob who just bought his first fancy camera?  I should hope so.  But do you know who would do the best job? A wedding photographer.  Think of it this way….would you go to an OBGYN for a problem with your broken foot?  I mean, she went to medical school and probably knows some, but it’s not really her thing. 

Style:

This is probably the most important thing, in my opinion.  

There are a couple different things I mean when I talk about style, and there are many, many things that go into making up a photographer’s style, from shooting to editing.  

Do you prefer perfectly posed photos or more candid, natural images?  Studio or outdoors? Natural light or studio lighting / flash?  Do you expect your photographer to give you lots of specific posing direction? How do you want the images to make you feel?  

Editing is another aspect of style… do you like light and airy photos, or dark and moody? What color tones draw you?  Each individual photographer has a very specific style.  You don’t really need to understand this, you just need to know it exists and decide whether you like the look of that photographer. (And don’t ask them to do something else….It’s like asking Monet to paint like Picasso.)

Consistency:

This is kind of related to style, but basically, just make sure that you are seeing enough consistency in what you see on a photographer’s website so that you know what to expect from your photos.  Every session is unique and different, but you also just want to see enough consistency in style to know what to expect. 

Price:

Yes, I put this last on purpose.  I understand that budget is important, and is definitely a consideration.  However, I just want to say that good photography takes a lot of time (a lot more than just what you see when you are in front of the camera), and education and money (equipment, taxes, insurance, website fees, etc).  So when you hire someone out there charging $50 for a session, just know that that person is working for WAAYYYY less than minimum wage. But of course, there is a wide range of pricing for photography in general, so just start with understanding what that includes, and what you are getting for your money.  

So that may all seem like a lot of work to choose a photographer, but it really comes down to one thing: does the photographer’s work embody what you want from your photos, or are you expecting something completely different?  If you are wanting something completely different, then you need to find a different artist. 

What a difference a year makes

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You might remember this gorgeous family from one of my most popular blog posts last year. Jenn had the adorable idea to announce her pregnancy to their daughters, Ella & Sol at our photo session.  It was such a fun and special moment to be able to capture as these girls found out that they were going to have a little brother or sister.  

So here they are one year later, and their secret gift from our last session has grown into the most beautiful baby boy imaginable.  It is so obvious how much the family is head over heels for baby Santi.  And who wouldn’t be…isn’t he just perfect?  

So lets talk for a minute about nursing at a photo session, in case you are curious about how that works.  If your baby needs to stop and take a break at a session to nurse, that is absolutely 100% fine, and what happens during that break is totally up to you.  If you prefer privacy, I can spend the time photographing your other children, or just relaxing. But if you’d like me to capture that special time with you and your little one, I would love to do that too. And it is your choice as to whether you would like those shared or if you’d like them to remain private, but I am so happy Jenn decided to share these gorgeous images of her with Santi, because that bond between mother and baby is just beautiful.  

It sure looks like they had fun!

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“You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody watching,
Love like you’ll never be hurt,
Sing like there’s nobody listening,
And live like it’s heaven on earth.”
― William W. Purkey

As I was editing some of these photos this morning on the couch while enjoying my morning coffee, my nine-year-old was snuggled up next to me watching TV.  She was looking at the photos as I scrolled through them picking my favorite ones. As she looked, she commented, “It sure looks like they had fun!”  I took it as the ultimate compliment because above all, I want kids to have fun at my family portrait sessions, and I want the photos to show that they had fun. 

For me, giving clients an enjoyable experience is as important as the photos themselves.  My reason for that is, if you get beautiful photos, but the experience in getting those photos was miserable, then what kind of memories are you going to have associated with those pictures?  And isn’t that what family photography should be about….capturing beautiful memories?  

Maddie & Reagan can certainly teach us all about having fun.  They were so full of joy at this session. It’s so fun to watch because it wasn’t too many years ago that Reagan was an extremely shy little girl who would barely look at me.  Now she’s dancing like nobody’s watching.  And how completely beautiful is that?  I mean, can you even look at these photos without smiling?  When I grow up, I want to be just like these little girls. 

Welcome to Spring Portrait Season

Posted in Big Kids, Family, Portrait Sessions, Sarah Benson Park, (formerly known as Thompson's Station Park), Seniors & TeensTagged , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Fall was so amazingly busy and beautiful at the same time, and my Fall portrait season seemed to run right up until Christmas somehow.  For January and February, I had intentions of really focusing on and promoting my at-home documentary sessions, but honestly just enjoyed the time off too much to really have much motivation to book winter sessions.  But I did enjoy using the time to continue my education working on workshops and shooting personal work for my 365 project.

But now the sun is finally coming out and I’m feeling SOOOO ready to get back to photographing outdoor family sessions, which is my true passion. And what a beautiful March weekend we had to kick the season off right.

This session was actually a prize that I donated to my youngest daughter’s school.  The session went to the teacher who’s class raised the most money for their Fun Run this past Fall, and Ms. Stalling’s class blew it out of the water!  As PTO president, I was so overwhelmed with all the support that we got for the Fun Run, raising over $37,000.  With that money, we’ve been able to write a check for a new outdoor track (and now that Spring is here, hopefully they will be able to start working on it soon), AND we were able to buy 90 new Chromebooks for the school. 

Our teachers work so hard each and every day for our kids, I really wish I were able to give them all a session.  Please take a minute to thank a teacher in your life…it’s been a really rough month for most of them and they could really use some encouragement right now. 

There are only a few dates left for Spring Portraits, so if you want to book a session, don’t wait!