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Why Custom Photography? | Nashville Children's Photographer

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I've been having these thoughts roll around in my mind for the last few months and am finally sitting down to let them out.  Let's just go ahead and address the elephant in the room.  Custom photography is expensive.  And, yes, you can go elsewhere for a lot cheaper.  But, I'm here to explain the reasoning behind the cost.  At least the reasoning behind it in my business.  The process from the initial conversation whether via email or phone to the actual session is vital to how the session turns out.  I put a lot of thought and effort into making it the right experience for you and your unique family.  I desire for it to reflect who you are and the story you are living right now.  The session itself is always so fun for me.  I love meeting new friends and reconnecting with old ones.  Many of my returning clients feel like friends even though we may only see one another once a year. Now the real work happens after the session.  And I believe this is what makes custom photography unique and special.  I process each photo individually with much attention to every detail.  I care for them like they are my own.  And each photo does become, in a weird way, apart of me.  After spending so much time staring at every part of the photograph, it begins to feel like an extension of my vision.  This is why I usually narrow down the gallery to around 30 images - just so I can spend enough time making each one beautiful.  Instead of giving you a whole array of good images, I would rather give you a handful of exceptional images.

And it does not end after the editing.  This year I decided to move into the ordering, packaging and shipping of my own photographs.  So, every photograph you order comes directly through my hands.  And they are packaged with great love.  This has been surprisingly fun for me - making each package seem like a gift to my client.  Because I truly believe that it is a gift - one that will last forever and you can never, ever get back.

I'm going to answer a few more questions in the days to come.  Like... Why do you sell actual prints and not just the digital CD?    Why is a professional lab better than other prints?

Feel free to ask other questions that pertain to my business and photography.  I will try to answer them!

And of course I have to leave you with a photograph, especially for those of you who scroll right past the words.  :)

Design Inspiration | Nashville Child Photographer

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Here are a few amazing ideas on how to turn your photographs into art for your home.  I could always use a little help in this area and I thought you might like in on a little of the fun.  If you are a client of mine, then you receive a custom inspiration guide with *your* photos inserted in the frames.  That way you can envision exactly what they would look like in certain sizes and in certain parts of your house.  Here is just a little sneak peek of what you get when you book a session with me....

Photographing Your Own Children | Nashville Children's Photographer

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I know many of you have your own digital SLR's (aka big cameras) and really enjoy taking photos of your own children.  So, I thought I would take time out today to give you a few of my favorite tips in photographing children. 1. Talk to them- do not talk at them.  Try not to say - "stand here, don't move, etc"  You know (better than anyone else) what your children love to talk about so this is your chance to use this for your benefit!   Engage with them.  This makes for an atmosphere for more natural, fun looking photographs.

2. Give them something to do.  Walk.  Jump.  Count to 10.  Sing.  Twirl.  Freeze.  Make it fun!

3.  Get on their level.  I see this as one of the most common mistakes parents make when photographing their children.  You must literally move your camera (and therefore your body) to their eye level.  Sometimes this means you find me lying fully on the ground.  There are some cases when other points of view are appropriate as well.  But the majority of time, I am on their level.

4.  Make sure they feel like themselves.  This means different things for different people.  But if your children do not normally wear nice, smocked dress clothes then do not put them on just for photographs.  It really does effect the atmosphere of the shoot.  Let them be themselves.

5.  Don't be afraid to mess up.  The beauty of the digital world is that there is no harm in messing up a hundred times.  It is now called the delete button.  And sometimes apparent mess ups are some of my favorites.  Take risks.

6.  Look for the light.  This is the most important thing I can stress.  It is all about the light.  Your photos will never be what you want if you do not learn to study the light around you.  The best time of day is early morning and late afternoon/early evening.  If you must shoot in the day, then find good open shade.

7.  Bribe.  My husband will totally disagree with this tip but I am a huge proponent in bribing for photographs.  Have something fun for the very end of the shoot.  Something that you could use in the photographs is the best!  Like a popsicle, big colorful sucker, a fun headband- whatever!  I am always happy when I hear that parents have something for the kiddos at the end.  Sometimes that is the only way I can get them to cooperate.  Especially for those long shoots.

8.  Last but not least.  Book a family session once a year when children are really young and once every 2 years as they grow.  If not with me, then with another photographer that you love.  Your presence as a family is so important to capture.  You want to remember those sweet moments that you cannot photograph yourself.  It is such a small investment for a lifetime of memory.

Here are a few favorites from my recent session with my two...