Newborn Photography vs Children Portraits.

       Newborn Photography is a specialty in the photography world.  An average newborn session can 3 hours long or more.  A lot of patience is needed and some training is needed as well, whether it is formal or non formal.  SAFETY is a key component when handling these tiny human lives.  When I did my first newborn session, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  I thought  since they were just born, they would be sleeping, easy to pose, and it would be point and click and done.  I WAS WRONG.   Newborn photography is a science.  There is a formula a photographer should follow to ensure the safety of the baby and to ensure beautiful images to be captured. I am going to explain how I do newborn sessions.

      I usually try and book a few months ahead of time. The mother-to-be and myself discuss her due date and what she expects out of the session.  We then choose a date and I am flexible with the day because with due dates and deliveries, nothing goes as planned. I leave it up to the client whether they want to come to me or I go to them when it is time for the session.  As a mother myself, and have given birth to 3 children, I know the first week of having a newborn is exhausting and sometimes overwhelming. I want the parents to feel at ease with me working with them and their new baby.  Most of the time, the clients choose that I go to them for their newborn session, and I am fine with that.
      Once I get there, I say hello, meet the baby, and talk with the parents and I show them what props I brought and the plan for the day.  I give them the option to be with me or step back if they need to.  Some new parents, since they are home, let me do my work and they stay in the background and they only come over to the baby if I ask them to.  Others, never leave my side.  Both situations, are fine with me.
     When posing a baby, they are the easiest to work with when they are just changed, fed and swaddled.  If they have not fed in a while, I ask the mom to strip the baby down to a diaper or the first outfit I plan on having them wear, and then cover the baby in a blanket and then feed them.  This way, once they are done eating, they can be placed in the area I plan on photographing them and then hopefully capture some amazing photos.
     Newborns also are easy to work with when it is warm.  82 degrees is a great temperature for babies.  They love warm and snuggled potions.  The key is to have a warm and a full tummy  and sleep usually follows, and that is how you capture those beautiful sleeping poses.       In the industry of newborn photography, there are some common poses, the most popular is the "froggy".  This pose is when the head is resting on the arms and it appears the baby is sitting up.  I honestly, do not like that pose, It is unnatural to me, but I have to admit it is beautiful.  The photo I have shown here that shows how the froggy pose is done is NOT my image, like I said, I do not do that pose.  I just wanted to show you how it is done.  It is what we call a composite.  It is two or three images combined to make one image.  It is done this way, because the baby cannot hold themselves up and doing as one shot is very dangerous and not attainable.
     When I have completed the individual portion of a newborn session, that is when I include sibling and family poses.  I LOVE posing families around their newest addition.  I tend to go the artistic route because newborns cannot focus on anything and if they are awake, it just does not look that great when they are staring off or their eyes are crossed because they are trying to focus.  I tend to have the baby  be asleep, or posed where the parents are looking at their baby and the baby is facing
the parents. I love to photograph newborns.  They can be very challenging.  I have had my fair share of newborns who did not sleep, and they cried the entire time.  I do my best and capture the images I feel are "frame worthy", but it sometimes takes several hours.  I look at each newborn session as a learning experience.  Each baby and family is different and I learn something new each time.  The best way to learn, is to do, and with each newborn session, I do, I feel like I learned a great deal.  There are some photographers that only photograph newborns, and they are amazing!  My main focus in on family photography and children portraits, and children portraits and newborn sessions are NOT the same, and should not be treated as such.  This was my attempt to welcome you into the world of newborn photography.  In my opinion,  it is the most challenging sessions I have ever photographed, because you have to know how to pose them safely and keep them happy.  That is not as easy as it sounds.

Portraits VS. "Pics". These Two Words Are Very Different.

     When I think of the word "portraits", my mind envisions something well lit, beautiful and artistic.  I feel that I deliver that to my clients.  When I think of the word "pics"  I think of simple snap shots that we take throughout our daily lives of ourselves, children and other family and friends.   The problem with my line of work, that it is the digital age.  It is so easy for anyone to purchase a professional camera and simply start snapping away and call themselves a photographer.  Many people have asked me if it bothers me, if I lose a client to someone else who charges less or just gives away their photos on a Cd.  My answer is NO.

     Anyone who has worked with me, knows I put my heart and soul into my work.  I live for photography and I am constantly educating myself within the business learning new techniques on lighting, customer service, editing and so on.  It is an easy line of work to get into, but it is another to be successful at it. You have to work at it.  You have to work long and odd hours  and constantly stay on top of deadlines and time management. I learn and grow everyday and I am proud of that.  I have recently looked back at some of my older work and I am amazed at how much I have grown.  I have looked back at some of the images I have taken over the past few months and told myself how much I have grown since then. I critique myself to "myself"  and I try not to compare myself to other photographers.  We all start our journey as new to the field, and there is nothing more rewarding than self growth.  

     I feel like in the last months, I have learned so much.  I joined a few photography groups and organizations and just observing and reading fellow photographers posts and the way they run their businesses has opened my eyes.  It is an honor to be appreciated by colleagues.  

     I am excited to expand my business.  I will be offering a variety of new products which includes leather wall displays, prints on metal, canvas and custom made frames that I will be hand painting.  I am looking for quality items that can be displayed for years to come.  Some people have asked me why my canvas pricing is more expensive than other companies that sell canvas prints.  I have to tell you, it is hard to compete with multi-million dollar canvas companies that offer their canvas pricing so low.  I can easily tell you why I charge more and they charge less. Some of these larger companies print good quality canvas prints and then they wrap them over cardboard.  Then, they slap the backing on that has the wall attachments on it.  They are beautiful but how long will cardboard last?  It will bend and warp, it will not stand the test of time.  Twenty years from now, the card board will have disintegrated and the canvas will be left drooping on the wall.  My canvas prints are printed and then stretched over wood.  They will last 100 years or more.  That is the difference.  I want quality prints because I feel my work is art.  IT IS ART and I treat it as such. 

     I feel like I am going through a renaissance now with my company.  I am finding THE BEST quality prints and products and I so excited to share them with you all.  As I print examples of these products, I will be filming in high definition to show you all how these products look .  I would love to start booking appointments and find out what YOU want as the client.  Do you want a simple session with just a few prints or do you want a session that ends with a large canvas print or custom framed prints tailored to your taste or an album?  I would love to do this.  This is the next step for me.  I feel like for years, I have been a part of something wonderful.  I have the privilege to photograph families and as far as I know, my clients love my work.  I would be honored to take it a step further.  I just do not want to photograph a session for you, but I would love to create a work of art in your home with some beautiful wall displays.  I want people to walk into your home and see that beautiful family image in a custom frame or printed on leather or canvas.  I want people to be in awe of your family.  My home is filled with these beautiful products of my own family, and I always get compliments on my family portraits and I want to start helping others to find what they are looking for.  I am in the process of making new packages.  Some of these packages include custom framed prints and canvas wall displays.  I am almost ready to share these packages with you, but I need another week or two to fine tune them.  To end this, I will no longer be offering Cd's. I know this will upset many but I am learning that Cd's make people NOT print.  If they have them on the Cd, that is where they stay.  My goal is not to just take your portraits, but to give you something so beautiful, that I want them  in your homes and to celebrate your family with some gorgeous prints.  

     I want for all who is reading to take a step back, take a deep breath and think back to a few decades ago.  When a family would book a session with a photographer, it was an event.  The family went out and bought new clothes, planned out a time and went to a studio and the photographer arranged you with their background of choice, and took your portraits.  You then, would meet with the photographer, when he/she completed your session and you looked at proofs.  From there, you selected the photos you wanted printed and purchased your prints from that photographer.  You did not receive the film negatives and that never angered or upset you.  That is all I am trying to do, but in the digital age, for some reason, not offering a CD is enough to make a person not want to book you.  I think that is not fair for the hard working photographers.   I no longer WANT Walmart, Shutterfly or Snapfish, who earn millions a year to profit off my photo sessions anymore.  I.simply.will.not.have.it.  I know this will turn people away.  That saddens me, but again, this business is a business and I have to make it profitable :) .  When I compare it to the film generation of photography, I hope that will make you understand.  With all of that said, I will still offer "sales"  on high resolution images.  After a client purchases a certain amount of prints, I will offer high resolution downloads of certain images to be purchased.  That is the best I can do for now.

     This blog post is my second photography blog and I have to say, I am really enjoying writing for you all to read. I feel like these blogs will help you to "get to know me"  as a professional and I hope it will help with certain questions you may have for me.    Feel free to comment and share this blog.  Thank you for reading and thank you for being a fan of Studio V. Photography.  It means the world to me. 

What to Wear?

     When I book sessions, my clients ask me, "What should I wear?".  When I first started out in photography, I would simply tell the client, "Whatever you want to be photographed in".  I learned by experience, that is the WRONG answer.  I have learned that busy patterns and bright colors, take away from the images I capture.  When I photograph a family, I want the focus to be on the faces and them as a unit.  Bright and bold colors and patterns become very distracting.  I photograph many families outdoors.  The sun, bright or not, reflects colors.  Bright colors like neon green, pink, reds and yellows, reflect brightly onto the face and it takes a very long time to remove those colors successfully from the skin.  Softer colors and neutrals are perfect for family sessions. The focus then falls onto the people, their faces and not what they are wearing.  The photographs that I have attached to this post are  PERFECT examples of WHAT TO WEAR. Their outfits are simple, and coordinated.  It shows that they are one unit.  They belong together as a unit.  They are, family.

     I LOVE families that match.  Now,you do not have to be wearing the same exact ensembles, but coordinated outfits I think are beautiful.  When I photograph a family, I want you to LOVE your images and this is a simple way to portray a certain feeling.  Some families are causal.  They prefer jeans and tee shirts. I think that is fine.  I want to represent who you are in life, but I would recommend that you all follow certain rules with colors.  My personal favorites are the families that do dress up for the occasion.  I feel family portraits are a treat.  You are representing a special moment in your lives. When you come together and hire a professional to photograph you, you are celebrating your family and it makes me happy when I see clients come to the session dressed for the occasion.  You are a family and there is no better way to show pride for your family and who you are by dressing up and enjoying each other as I photograph you. When I book family sessions, I will be mailing out information packets that will help you with ideas on what to wear and what to stay away from.  This way, when the days comes and your session day has arrived, you will be stress free and ready to capture those special moments.