Thursday, July 29, 2010

Sadler Grandchildren shoot

I just finally finished the pictures from last Sunday's shoot.  Whew I thought that I would never get done.  It has been a very busy week here at home.  This shoot was probably one of the most challenging I have done, but it was extremely fun.  Five kids, made my job interesting.  It was fun and I learned a lot about dealing with large numbers of kids.  My only regret is that I didn't spend more time doing individual pictures and trying a few more group picture ideas.  Here are a few pictures from the shoot.   I hope you enjoy.
















Lovely little London.

Lovely little London.

If you love baby pictures, then you have to check out this blog post! These pictures are so adorable and inspired! I just love the ideas and the lighting and everything about these pictures. They are just amazing!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Inspire Me Baby

http://inspiremebaby.com  is probably my favorite blog that I keep up with.  I not only follow this blog, but I also am a fan on facebook.  There is just so much inspiration from this site.  I never tire of looking at pictures posted on this site.  It is simply Marvelous! 

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Inpire Me Baby Give Away!

I subscribe to several photography blogs. I love to read them, but I really love looking at the pictures. One of my favorite blogs is Inspire Me Baby for the baby photographer. It is just one of my all time favorite blogs. The photographers who are featured there are just amazing! I love every image that I see there.

They are currently having an awesome giveaway if you are a photographer. They are teaming up with Jacqueline Photography on Facebook in giving away a newborn posing guide. I want this posing guide soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo badly. It would be fantastic to win. I am constantly learning about this business, and having this guide would be such a great way to increase my knowledge base.

If you are a photographer and want to see the contest rules here is a link! Good luck! (Because you are going to need it! :) I'm gonna win!

http://inspiremebaby.com/2010/07/27/giveaway-newborn-posing-guide-by-jacqueline-ends-81/comment-page-4/#comment-911

Monday, July 26, 2010

A Parent's Guide to a Photo Session


Forrest Gump said, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get." This statement is especially true for photo sessions with little ones. It magnifies even more when you add more kids. Kids are a bit unpredictable. They will smile for you at home, but put a camera in their face and no smile. They jump, fidget, move, and most of all make goofy faces. Here you are at a photographer's studio and you are paying money to just have the pictures taken, and your child is not cooperating. What are you going to do? You are left feeling anxious and frustrated because they are not doing what you are expecting. Here are a few things to keep in mind at your next photo session so you don't feel frustrated.


Do's

1.) Do make sure your child is in comfortable clothes. If a child hates what they are wearing, they will make it known.

2.) Do make sure your session is at a time that is good for your child. Tell the photographer when your child naps, goes to bed, eats snacks, etc. Scheduling around all of these things can be tough, but you will end up with a happier child. Happier children increase the chance of smiling pictures.

3.) Do have your child fed before they come to the shoot. I realize that time can be short trying to get children ready and picture ready, but a hungry child can be an obstinate child. Children who are well rested and fed are more likely to do what they are asked to do.

4.) Do tell you photographer about games, songs, toys, food that your child likes. This gives the photographer something to talk about with your child. Talking about a favorite toy, or game, or show, makes a child engage with the photographer and you will get much more natural expressions.

5.) Do reschedule your shoot if your child is not feeling well. I know that I am cranky when I just feel a little bit off. Imagine being set in front of a bunch of lights in a strange place and told to smile! It just isn't going to end well at all.

6.) Do talk to your photographer about what you are going to have your children wear. This way they can have backdrops set up and ready to go when you arrive. They can also have available possible props for your child to explore that go with their attire or interests.

7.) Communicate with your photographer. Do you have a vision for the shoot? Do you have specific poses you would like to see? Tell your photographer. Maybe you don't want sit in front of the camera and smile pictures. Again, your photographer can set up a shoot that is outside of the studio. They can take your child's picture in your home where they are most comfortable surrounded by their things. Communication with your photographer is key to getting the pictures that you want.

8.) Do be there to comfort your child and keep them where they need to be. Photography studios are filled with equipment. It can be scary for a child, and they may feel unsure. Also, some children are adventurous and need to be kept in their spot so they do not break expensive equipment or even worse get injured.

9.) Do laugh and relax and be silly. Your child is going to take its cues from you. If you are nervous about the shoot, they will know it and feed off of your emotions. If you are relaxed and having fun, they are more likely to do so. Also with little kids, you have to be silly to get those priceless smiles. So loosen up and be a kid yourself!

10.) Do put yourself in the picture, even if it is only a hand! Pictures with you in them are more precious. So do come prepared to be photographed. Be dressed so that you coordinate with your child, but you don't need to be matchy matchy. Have your hair done, and if you are mom your make-up. In most photo sessions, I use parents a lot. Seeing their tiny hand in yours is a precious memory that you don't want to lose when they are no loner tiny and you have to look up at them! :)


Now for the Don't List

1.) Don't be upset if your child does not smile. Remember they are in a new environment and children need their basic needs met in order to be happy. One of those needs is the feeling of security. Until they feel secure with where they are at they may not be too happy to have their picture taken. Remember pictures of unhappy children can be some of the best. Also, looking at the camera and smiling is not always the best formula for pictures that capture your heart. Trust your photographer to capture images that you will cherish and show the world who your child is.

2.) Don't be afraid to discipline your child if they are not listening (ie they are pulling on lights and biting cords, and trying to knock down equipment). Your photographer will appreciate you taking care of this role. It protects their new relationship with your child and also their equipment. Children who are misbehaving will only escalate if they are not reminded of the rules and this is a safety concern. Please be vigilant about keeping your child's behavior in check so they don't get hurt! :)

3.) Don't over discipline your child. While I just said don't be afraid to do this, you do have to temper this. Safety means stepping in and correcting your child. Nobody wants anybody getting hurt. By all means step in. However, if your child isn't holding their leg or arm they way the photographer asked, let it go. It is not easy for a child to pose or be posed. It's not natural for them. If they are sitting in their spot and are trying to do what asked but are just doing it wrong, then don't do anything more than encourage them. If they feel that you are upset with them they will become upset as well. Gentle encouragement goes a long way with kids. Praise their attempts. Also, you don't know what is being seen in the view finder. Sometimes the placement of legs and arms is just to get the child to stay in their spot and the photographer is only taking a picture of their face. Relax and just encourage your child with lots of praise for trying their best!

4.) Don't expect more out of them than they are capable of. Babies may be able to sit up on their own for a short period of time. However, don't expect them to be able to do this great feat and smile! Its just not likely to happen unless they have fully mastered the skill. Expecting more out of them than what they are really capable of will only lead you to feel frustrated at them. Allow the photographer to work with your child to get those images that you will cherish.

5.)Don't forget to relax and have fun.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

My Favorite Subjects


One of my favorite subjects to photograph are my own children. I take a lot of pictures. Why do I take so many? I guess it is because I love them so much. I want to remember all of their childhood. What did they wear, how did they behave? All of

it is so important to me. I want my children to know how much I love them and how important they are to me. I want to create a family record for us. I do that through pictures. Now a part of taking all of the pictures is doing something with them. I love to scrapbook. I have my own room to do it in. It is a 10x10 room with cabinets and counter top all around two of the walls. It is an amazing space and it is where I create both traditional and digital scrapbooks. I am making each child their own scrapbooks, so that someday when I am gone they will have all of those memories to share with their children. They are they best subjects my camera could ever point at.

Tonights Shoot

Tonight is going to be great. I have an awesome group coming in tonight to the studio. I can't wait for it. We are going to have five kids here in the studio and it is going to be lovely chaos! I can't wait to show some of the pictures from tonight. It is going to be so much fun. You Ohio State fans watch out for it. Supposedly we are in OSU gear tonight.

Welcome All

This is my first post on my new blog! It is very exciting stuff for me. Here on the blog you will get to see lots of pics. You will get to see things that inspire me. You may also get to see some of my influences such as scrapbooking, and my family. I will post pictures from my shoots, and maybe just some ramblings from me. It should be fun!