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Families
One of my favorite parts about being a wedding photographer is following up with my couples after the wedding and seeing their families grow. Jen and Larry tied the knot last May and had their first child this month! This beautiful baby girl was just 5 days old when we took these photos, and she did an amazing job. Congratulations, Jen and Larry!
One of the main reasons why I love being a photographer is the opportunity I have to document a moment in time - a split second emotional response. Many of these types of moments that I have the privilege of photographing happen at weddings - the groom seeing his bride for the first time, the mother of the groom tearing up in the front row at the ceremony, the first dances, and many more. But this blog post has a different kind of moment - one that I've never photographed before!
Amanda and Jeff met in college and have been together for fourteen years, and married for the last few. They recently found out that they were pregnant with their first child and wanted to capture their pure reactions when they found out the gender of their baby! They brought both blue and pink items for the session, handed me an envelope, and had me paint each of their hands with either blue paint (for a boy) or pink paint (for a girl). So technically, I knew the gender of their baby before them - so fun!! To their sweet surprise, once they lifted each of their hands from Amanda's tummy, they found out that they were going to be the parents of a little boy! Congratulations to these two wonderful people - you are going to make amazing parents!
An estimated 2,500 photos are taken every second. (Via source), and 90% of people have only ever taken a photo with a camera phone. With the quality of camera phones improving year by year, some camera phones are beginning to rival DSLRs in their quality and capabilities. But besides measuring levels of quality, such as megapixels or noticeable distortion, how can one improve their picture taking habits to create better, more engaging images?
One specific group who often seek guidance on the subject of photo snapping are parents of young children. Every parent wants to take photos that catch their child in their truest form, just simply being themselves. Here are my top four tips for taking better photos of your kids:
Whether it means taking a knee or laying fully on the ground, getting down on a child’s level is the best way to change up the perspective of a photograph, and makes them feel instantly more comfortable.
For good reason, many people believe that it’s best to take photos in the middle of the day when the sun is “at it’s brightest.” However, taking photos with kids facing into the bright, harsh sun often result in squinty eyes and harsh shadows. A better method is to find some open shade, where the light is even (resulting in less contrast between bright highlights and dark shadows) where kids don’t have to squint.
Kids NEED to move. They can only sit still for so long before they start squirming. But you know what? Some of my FAVORITE photographs of children are the ones where they’re doing their own thing – whether it’s running around, climbing something, making funny faces, or being tickled, kids are comfortable when they’re moving – not when they’re asked to sit still. So give your child something to do, whether it’s running from one side of the yard to the other, jumping on a trampoline, making funny faces, reading a book out loud, or playing pretend (i.e., the ground is hot lava!), there are so many different ways to keep kids engaged and preoccupied without them even realizing what’s happening – giving you a chance to snap some great action shots!
One sure-fire way to get an awkward looking portrait of a child is to tell them to smile. Time after time, I’ve found that kids whom Mom tells to “smile really big for the camera!” have squinty eyes and a big, tight smile. Much like point number three above, the best way to approach photographing a child is to 1) give them something to do, and 2) talk to them. Never stop asking them questions! Children will engage with your camera when they’re engaging and connecting with you.
What are your favorite tips for taking photos of kids? Add to my list in the comments below!
I have so much love for this sweet family and the fun we have during their annual family session! These four (plus their pup, Milo!) are always up for throwing, kicking, and even laying in leaves - and always with so much enthusiasm and joy! I've said it so many times before, but my favorite part of any session is seeing the people in front of my camera having fun and enjoying themselves. And this family does it so well!
I had the pleasure of photographing this sweet group of girls from Grove City College a few weeks ago - a group of girls who were randomly assigned to a group with a leader, and managed to hit it off and stay together all the way through their senior year! Also, in the photos below, they're holding all of the books they studied together through the years! Congratulations on your last year of school, ladies!
Like most people, I have a love/hate relationship with getting outside of my comfort zone. Photographing little Emerson was a little out of my comfort zone, but I am beyond thankful that I had the opportunity to photograph her and her parents within the first few weeks of her life and am so excited to share these images! Emerson's mom (Danielle) had so many beautiful details and ideas for photos - from fresh cut flowers from a local shop in Sewickley, to an iron crown fit for a queen, to the cutest little teepee - this family was such a joy to photograph! Keep scrolling to see a few of my favorites :)
This family is so much fun! We had so much fun running around Hartwood Acres Park with these two parents and their three little munchkins. They had races, played in bubbles, and got tickled... a lot! Thanks for a wonderful time, you five!
We loved hanging out with this beautiful mother-to-be, her husband, and their sweet pup at Dundee Farm - one of my favorite hidden gems of a location! Baby E is a princess already with her beautiful crown, and is so loved.
For those of you who don't know me very well, I'm a huge Disney fan - not just of the cartoon movies, the theme parks (check out the photo to the right of my husband and I on one of our favorite Disney rides on our honeymoon this past August!), or the magic (though all of that is great too) - but of the man himself, Walt Disney. I admire his optimism, willingness to be flexible and think of the impossible in the midst of uncertainty, along with his desire to improve the lives of his family, his friends, and his world. In Walt's day, theme parks were dirty, unsafe, and not very entertaining for parents carting their children from one ride to the next. One day while he was sitting on a bench inside one of those filthy amusement parks, he began dreaming of a place where children and parents alike could enjoy a day of fun together in a clean, safe environment. A super amusement park, if you will - something that had never been done before in his time. Sure enough, his vision quickly caught fire with the opening of his first theme park, "Walt Disney Land" in California, and later with "Walt Disney World" in Florida.
Gone are the days of dressing your family in white polos and khakis, driving to the nearest studio and holding awkward positions under studio lights, while your kids fidget and cry for it to be over. Family photos are an experience, and much like Disney with his theme parks, we want to create a safe place where your family can create memories. After all, we're not just in the business of capturing memories - we're in the business of creating them. Whether it's tickling your kids while they squirm in your arms, going for a walk, blowing bubbles or splashing around in a fountain - we're in pursuit of fun. And I'm sure that those we've photographed will agree - the unposed, unexpected, not-so-perfect photos that are full of emotion and life are just as, if not more precious than the perfectly posed ones.
I was honored to spend a beautiful Saturday morning with this adorable family at Cranberry Township Community Park a few weeks back. These fun family photos included a bubble machine, matching mother-daughter flower crowns, and lots of laughs! Here are a couple of my favorites from their session!
