Hello Miss Stella!

Stella Rose came into the world at just the right moment. You see the day she came was once a sad day for this wonderful family. It was the day that her family got the devastating news about her amazing Uncle J. Although he is no longer with us on earth to see her, he is watching over her. And while Dr's tried to schedule an induction on another date, God had better plans. He turned morning into rejoicing and reminded us all that he is still in control and works everything out in the right timing. Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. In fact, the thing I love most about photography is the stories I get to hear, I get to capture and I get to become a part of. It is more than a photograph, it really is about creating a memory that will last a lifetime. It's capturing life's moments!

Bear is made from her late uncle's shirt.

I've actually known this family for years...ok maybe my whole life. We were life family growing up. It was such an honor to be able to capture this time for this family and to give them memories to cherish forever.

During our session Stella was wide awake litterally the entire time! We tried to feed her, multiple times, rock her, sway her, cuddle with her, but all she wanted to do was be awake and part of the action. Thanks to some tricks of the trade, we were able to get her to be sleepy for a few of our shots. We had to work fast.

Stella is already a blessing to her sweet family. I am so thrilled to watch their little family grow. Congratulations John and Amanda.

Does the time of day really matter??

You have finally decided you are ready to have a photographer take your picture. You have been tossing the idea around for a while now and you finally committed. You contact the photographer and you start talking about locations and ideas. You decide you want to schedule. The photographer says great! Here are my open days: Saturday at 5pm, Thursday at 4pm etc. You realize everything the photographer is offering is in the evening....but you were hoping to get this off your checklist for the day earlier so you could get back to your day. So why does the photographer insist on doing this so late in the afternoon?!?!

This is a question many clients ask. We all have a busy life, especially on the weekends that stopping our day to get ready for pictures seems almost a hassle- until you understand your photographer is choose the time of day that you will actually look your best in! How can that be you ask...allow me to explain.

When doing outdoor photography you don't have lights set up in a controlled environment like you do in an indoor environment. Your only natural source for light is the SUN. So the sun and the time of day plays a huge role when scheduling a session. If you live in Florida where the sun can be extremely HOT this is another factor to consider.

Since the sun is our source of light we have to think about the location the sun will be in a certain times of day. Since the sun is so powerful it can be blinding at times. This is why we want to choose a time of day that the sun is less powerful and won't cause you to squint your eyes the whole time you are getting your picture taken. This would not make for a great image.

In addition to squinting, you have to think about shadows. Shadows are tricky little things that can change the way a person looks. For example, if you shine light above me (say high noon) then there will be a shadow cast  own my face. This will make my eyes look extremely dark and as if I have circles under my eyes or that I am tired. As a female, we definitely do not want this. It is not flattering at all. If you have the light coming across your face, then your nose will cast a shadow on your face and may cause your nose to look bigger than it really is.

As a photographer, we actually fine there are two idea times of day to have a session. 1. is right at sunrise. Many clients are not up to getting up that early but the sun is beautiful this time of day and the shots can be amazing.

2. The other idea time is right before sunset. This gives the sun a warm glow to your images and your clients.

The sun is usually behind your subject so there is no chance of them being blinded by the sun, having to squint or having weird shadows show up.

The final reason the time of day is important is the temperature of the day. Many times here in FL you will find that the middle of the afternoon is the hottest time of day. The sun is beating down on you and you begin to sweat. Most of us sweat on our faces. So now we have sweaty faces for our images- not good. This can cause you to look shinny or wet. We also don't want sweat spots showing up in other areas of our bodies too. ;)

If you want to watch an interesting video about how the light affects and egg, take a look here.

I hope this helps in helping you decide a time that works for you and your photographer. At the end of the day I want you to have the best images, with the right lighting, so that your features are enhanced and that we are comfortable and not too hot.

Which Location is Right for me?

Once a client schedules a session they are left deciding two important things 1.what do I wear? which I covered in this blog post here. 2. Where should we have our session??

When working with your photographer, they usually have a few places in mind when talking to you. They will ask you a few questions to ensure you are going to fit the locations they have in mind. The decision though, ultimately needs to be one that you feel will be an ideal fit for your family and lifestyle.

Here are some things to consider when deciding on a location:
1. water- water creates a beautiful landscape whether it is the beach, the river or a pond. It gives a sense of peace and harmony to the images.

2. Trees! Trees are a great asset to have at any location. They create beautiful backgrounds and they become a prop. You can lean up against the tree, you can climb the tree you can hand decorations from the tree and much more. Trees help create a background that doesn't go on for miles and gives the eye a stopping point.

3. Architecture- not everyone is into the nature seen when taking photos and that's ok. We are all different. That's when architecture is key in choosing a location. Look for a place that has textured walls and detail in the buildings around you. Steps allow you to create different heights in photos naturally without looking "posed". Architecture also brings an artsy feeling some images.

4. Personality- you have to remember your personality when choosing a location too. If you and your family never go to the beach, hate the water and don't like sand- then the beach is the LAST place you want your photo taken. We all have a place that we enjoy as a family- the beach, a park, the woods so you will want to choose a location that fits your family.

5. Your home- Many times clients don't want their photo taken at their home. My point here is that you should consider how you decorate your home. Once your session is over these images will be displayed in your home. Hopefully in a large format that everyone can see. If you have a very neutral colored home with a lot of greys and whites, then you probably don't want a location that would clash with that if hung on the wall. A beach environment would be a little more suiting than a rustic wooded environment.

6. Options- one other thought to consider are the options with your location. A lot of people enjoy a beach location. However, this option can be limited compared to a location that has a pond, a building, trees and other details to create different options for your images. The beach can be very simple and the landscape won't change much from image to image. 

There are a lot of great places here in Brevard County to have your picture taken. Sometimes all we have to do is look around to see them. If you are unsure about a location and you really don't mind, then always trust your photographer. Look at their other images and choose a location based off images you like or talk to them to see if they have another location in mind that you would enjoy too. At the end of the day, you and your family will be the subject of the images so you don't have to stress so much about the location.

Newborn Photography...how it changed me

If anyone really knows me then they might be a little shocked that I am a newborn photographer. If you ask me, some days I am shocked too. If we go back about 6 years ago, it might explain the reason why. My sister had twin boys. Cute adorable twin boys. I wanted nothing to do with them until they were about 6 months old. I was afraid of them. LOL They had a wobbly head and they were so small and I had no interest in holding a newborn let alone try to take their picture. I think I maybe held them twice and it was with someone very close by in case they started to cry. It wasn't just my twin nephews, it was all kids. I never got excited when others had a baby or even brought a baby around. 

Brayden

Noah

Then about two years ago something happened. It was part business and part personal. My husband and I decided it was time to start trying to have kids. So we tried and we tried and we are still trying. But as we began the process I was still very scared of newborn babies, pregnancy, labor...you name it. Why couldn't they just pop out at the age of 3 already potty trained?!?!? Seriously that was my thought. So I knew that if I was going to have a child of my own some day I couldn't have this view. So I began to pray and ask God to change me and prepare me for children. There were many months I also prayed for my period because I was not ready for kids. This battle continued on and on. I started to photograph a few babies. I figured if I was going to have a baby, I would want to be ready to take their picture.

Aurielle

Madison

Jack

As I began to work with then I noticed a few things from a photographer's point of view. I was missing something. The images weren't bad but they weren't the ones everyone dreams of when they get their brand new baby photographed. So I set out to find a newborn workshop to learn a little more. We continued to try to have children with no success, but God was still working on me. As I took the class last May, I was still very nervous to hold a baby. The instructor took the babies and handled them with confidence. She soothed their crying and made them look so peaceful. She posed them with ease and brought to life beautiful images.

I began to see that it wasn't scary holding a baby and soothing their cry. Who knew rubbing their forehead and swaying back and forth really does work! I almost wish someone would rub my forehead to put me to sleep. LOL But she showed me that babies are like animals, they sense fear from you. Since that workshop I've had the pleasure of holding 6 different babies and slowly with each one I watch my fear become less and less.

 

 

I still get nervous and I still am slightly reserved to just grab any baby and hold it, but God has used my love of photography to allow me to see the beauty in his creation of life rather than to fear it. I've also had the privilege to photography quite a few pregnant ladies and show them that they are beautiful with child. It has also helped me to not fear pregnancy either. God has still yet to open my womb but He has continued to change my heart and my view and allow me to bless others with beautiful images they can adore for years to come.

I hope you will continue with me on this journey as God continues to change me and perfect the art of newborn photography. I look forward to holding your babies and soothing their cried and giving you beautiful images for years to come!

--Trisha