Tag: "home sweet home"

Learning new things – Indoor Portrait Session in spring hill

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I am so glad this family chose to have an indoor portrait session this year, as it allowed me to test out new skills I’ve been working on learning. For most of my photography career, I’ve considered myself a natural light photographer. Most of my family portrait sessions are outdoors, but I also love shooting indoor portrait sessions for families and newborns. I’m obsessed with light and love exploring all the ways I can incorporate natural light into my photography.

But sometimes, natural light doesn’t give me what I want. I love using natural light at indoor portrait sessions, given that there are enough windows (and daylight) to allow enough light to enter the rooms. But sometimes, I find that light lacking. I can generally make do with the light available, but sometimes it’s just not the prettiest, and I wish I had more control over the light.

My journey to flash photography

So I set a goal to become more comfortable using a flash, when necessary. It started last summer when I somehow let one of my best friends talk me into photographing her sister’s wedding. (I don’t shoot weddings). I knew that shooting a dark reception would require flash, so I started working on getting better at using one. It was a learning experience and got me more comfortable shooting other dark indoor events, like this Quinceanera.

But at this point, I was only using flash when I had no other choice. I decided it was time to start creating my own light when maybe the natural light was passable, but not the prettiest, like sometimes at indoor sessions. So I’ve been taking an online class on off-camera flash and playing around with using a flash in more circumstances.

An indoor portrait session – the perfect time to use what I’ve learned

This family indoor portrait session was the perfect chance to use some of the things I’d learned. I met this family at their outdoor winter session two years ago, that ended up being one of my favorites of the season. I loved being able to photograph this beautiful family again – this time in their own home. It’s so much fun to have the kids show me their rooms, and get to know another side of them just by exploring their environments.

The living room was a bit dark, so I used off-camera flash for the photos we took in there. Abigail’s room had beautiful window light, so I just used the natural light in her room. But Eliot’s room faced another direction was a bit darker, so I did use the flash in her room. The flash was a great option that allowed me to get some fun action shots of her jumping on her bed. The movement might have been blurry without the flash in the darker room.

A chance to get creative

I was happy to be able to increase the available light in the house when I wanted to, but the most fun came when we went outside! I was always jealous of wedding photographers who post the fun rain shots with flash because most of my clients postpone their sessions when it rains. (It’s easier to defer family photos than your wedding day). But since this was mostly an indoor session, I was kind of hoping for rain so I could give it a try. The girls were kind enough to go out in the rain with me to get the shot. I wish it had been raining harder, but even the sprinkling gave a fun look to our umbrella shots.

I wanted to get a photo of Eliot riding her bike because that is something she does a lot at home, and I wanted to capture that time for her family. Since it stopped sprinkling, she grabbed the bike for a few shots. Usually, it would have been getting too dark outside for me to get a good picture, particularly of a moving child on a bike. But adding the flash allowed me to not only capture her movement with plenty of light, but it also allowed me to balance the cool, moody clouds in the background.

So I think I will begin to consider flash more as an option, not only for indoor sessions but for fill light or fun effects at outdoor sessions as well. You can still expect most of my shots at outdoor photoshoots to be with natural light, but don’t be surprised if I pull out the flash once in a while.

Time is running out to book your 2019 family portrait session

Speaking of sessions, if you haven’t booked yours for this year but intend to, please don’t wait. There are only a few spots left, and I don’t want you to miss out! I hate turning people away in the fall, but editing a session takes a lot of time, and there are just only so many I can do. You can choose a traditional outdoor photo session, or schedule an indoor portrait session like this one. Book yours today.

Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.

Anthony J. D’Angelo

A list of things I can (and will) photoshop for you, and a few things I won’t

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This was supposed to be an outdoor session but unfortunately, it started raining right before the session time. As I discuss on my FAQ page, there are several options for you if i should happen to rain for your session time.  Nicole chose to move the session to her home, rather than to reschedule, which is a great option as I love capturing families in their own surroundings.

Another issue that Nicole had was that little Scarlett got a fairly significant boo boo on her chin before the session (isn’t that the way it always happens?), and Nicole was afraid it would show in the photos.

I reassured Nicole that Scarlett’s boo boo wouldn’t be too hard to remove in editing, so not to worry about it.  So I thought this might be a good post to go over what I will and will not edit in family portraits.

What I will photoshop:

  • That random zit that popped up right before your session.
  • The boogers in your two year olds nose (but lets try a Kleenex first please!)
  • The bruise your four year old got riding her bike (or boo boo on her chin).
  • Generally anything “temporary” that isn’t part of what you normally look like.
  • That ugly trashcan in the background that I saw, but knew it was worth it to remove in editing.
  • The horrible bike lane stripe on my favorite path.
  • Minor “wardrobe malfunctions” that result from clothing not laying perfectly because I don’t operate perfectly posed portrait sessions. For example: your bra strap is showing, or maybe your shirt or dress is poofed out in a weird way.

What I won’t photoshop:

  • “Can you remove this logo from the shirt I chose to wear?” (I might could depending on the location, print, etc, but if you want it done more than once or twice, I’m going to need to charge extra.) 
  • “Make me look 50 pounds smaller?” (You are beautiful, just the way you are.)
  • “Can you make most of the photo black and white and leave this one part in color?” (I just don’t want to.) 
  • “Can you get the wrinkles out of my husbands dress shirt?” (Usually, no…especially if it’s a print and not a solid color.)

So my general rule to myself when it comes to editing…I want you to look like you, because you are gorgeous.  But if something happened recently that isn’t a part of your normal, let me know and we can probably work on that.

What the world needs is more dancing in the kitchen. Nashville Lifestyle Portrait Session.

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Brother & Sister reading book by flashlight at a home Lifestyle Portrait Session in Spring Hill, TN

I saw that phrase written in a meme recently and it spoke to me.  I love a good dance in the kitchen.  My husband…not so much, but he humors me.  To me, it’s one of those things that reminds us to savor the mundane…those little moments at home that don’t seem very grand. Aren’t those really are the ones that matter, and that we cherish for years to come?  At a lifestyle portrait session, those are the moments I want to capture.

The days are long but the years are short.

Things change so quickly as we are raising little ones, and before you know it, some things that seemed so much a part of your daily life that you didn’t even notice them, are suddenly gone. At my house, there is not a playroom anymore.  There is no swing set in the back yard.  My children bathe themselves and read to themselves at bedtime. I don’t remember the exact time when many of these changed, but gradually, they did change.  I look back to photos of when they were smaller and am so thankful that I have those mementos of days gone by.  

Seeing the possibilities.

That is one thing I love about doing these home sessions for families. I look at these photos and imagine all the possibilities they hold in bringing back the past, years from now.

10 years from now, will Renae’s family look at these photos and think about how that was the first year Coen played the violin, which he later grew to master and love?  Or will they remember it as that time Coen tried the violin before he found what he really loved?

Maybe Coen and Peri will look at these photos and fondly remember the photo of mom and dad’s wedding day that was hanging over their bed for years.  Will they giggle about when Peri was obsessed with Fancy Nancy and the giant caterpillar and Coen (and Mommy) was obsessed with Harry Potter? 

Will Peri look around the kitchen and smile at the “Happy Fall” chalk sign? Or remember the kitchen table that the family shared so many meals on before it was traded in for something new?  

These are the things that can’t be captured at a park.  

The home session advantage.

One advantage to home lifestyle portrait sessions is that we don’t have to worry about weather or sunlight.  My outdoor lifestyle sessions are all booked up for October & November, but I have been able to add some at-home session dates to the November calendar for weekdays where the early sunset doesn’t allow for outdoor sessions.  You can book one of these spots now on my calendar. These sessions would be a perfect time to decorate the Christmas tree, make some Gingerbread Houses, and just create beautiful memories of your family together capture forever by the camera.

So what do you think? Would you be up for an at home lifestyle portrait session?

Home…where our story begins | New Home Sweet Home Portrait Sessions

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It’s no secret that my passion is family photography.  I enjoy seniors, newborns & couples photography as well, but families, especially with younger children, are what inspires me.

Up until now, most of my family sessions have been outdoor, lifestyle portrait sessions.  I love these for many reasons, most of which is probably the gorgeous natural light of an outdoor session, particularly at golden hour.

But for a while now, I’ve been feeling drawn to encourage clients to also consider another option for family photography.  I want to offer in-home lifestyle & documentary sessions. I’ve always felt like the purpose of photography is to capture meaningful moments that a family will cherish always, and what better place to capture these moments than in a family’s home? 

I find that many clients are hesitant to schedule sessions in their home because they are so used to seeing outdoor sessions and they don’t know quite what to expect from an at-home session.  Here are a few things you can expect from an at-home photo session with me:

* We will be silly and play games, just like at my outdoor sessions, but those games might look a little differently.  For example, we may jump on the bed (with your permission), play shadow puppets, or have tickle fights on mom and dad’s bed. 

* Instead of awkwardly posing, I will ask that you do some activities together.  What these activities are will vary depending on what your family likes to do together.  Maybe mom and dad will have coffee on the back porch, while the kids play at their feet.  Maybe you’ll make dinner or cookies.  Maybe you can play board games or decorate the Christmas tree. The possibilities are endless. The point is that we will try to capture real moments for you…of things your family enjoys doing together.

* Your house doesn’t need to be fancy, or immaculate, or even clean.  For real. This is real life and real moments.  We are making memories…not caring about whether or not you swept the bathroom. The camera is forgiving and I promise I don’t even notice.

One advantage to home sessions, other than being able to capture memories in the place that you make the most memories, is that we don’t have to worry about weather or sunlight.  My outdoor lifestyle sessions are all booked up for October & November, but I have been able to add some at-home session dates to the November calendar for weekdays where the early sunset doesn’t allow for outdoor sessions.  You can book one of these spots now on my calendar. These sessions would be a perfect time to decorate the Christmas tree, make some Gingerbread Houses, and just create beautiful memories of your family together capture forever by the camera.

So what do you think? Would you be up for an at-home family session?