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Visual Impressions Photography

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Author Archives: brynwittmayer

The time is right for newborn photos

12 Thursday Feb 2015

Posted by brynwittmayer in Childrens photography, Newborn Photography

≈ Comments Off on The time is right for newborn photos

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baby photos, children photography, Childrens photography, digital photography, Family Photos, Newborn, Newborn Portraits, photography, Portland photographer, portland photography, Portraits

Newborn Photo

Newborn Photo by Visual Impressions Photography

As a mom, I remember the first week home with my new baby being busy, exhausting and full of so much joy I couldn’t contain it.  We will never get these precious first few weeks back, and as busy as this time is, it is the perfect time to schedule a newborn portrait session.

It is amazing how fast those first weeks go by. Even after just two weeks your baby will be so alert and much stronger as they move out of the “newborn” stage and firmly slide into “plump” baby life. You will want to remember this precious time when your daughter or son is so tiny and adorably new.  The best way to hold onto these moments is through photographs.  Trust me, I’ve been there:  “mommy-brain” is real and you will not remember everything!

The best way to make this happen is to book with me before your baby is born. That way we can talk about exactly what you’re looking for and we can settle all the details before fatigue sets in.  Then, after your baby arrives, all you have to do is give me a call and we can schedule a session.  I can even come to your house to take photos!

If you’re pregnant, or know someone who is, give me a call today to talk about newborn photographs.

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It’s time for Christmas!

20 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by brynwittmayer in Childrens photography, Upcoming events

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Christmas, Christmas photo session, days until Christmas

Book your Christmas photo session with Visual Impressions Photography today!

Book your Christmas photo session with Visual Impressions Photography today!

You have 66 days until Christmas.  Are you the kind of person who takes that as a challenge or are you terror-filled into immobility?  Around the studio, we’re getting ready for Christmas pictures and 66 days does not feel like a lot of time!

If you are planning to give family photos as Christmas presents this year, you still have time.  But the process does take a bit of planning:  scheduling photo shoot, editing the pictures taken, choosing your photos, ordering them and then waiting for them to come in.  It’s not a last-minute process.  Gifts worth a life-time are worth planning and preparation!

I still have time in my schedule for photos that you will get back in time for Christmas, but don’t wait.  The window of opportunity is closing.

Get in touch at info@visualimpressions.org or (503) 320-3076 to book your session today!

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Senior Photos with Madeleine

30 Tuesday Sep 2014

Posted by brynwittmayer in Childrens photography, Senior Pictures

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Senior Photos

This is the second in my series of blog posts co-written with my subjects.  My recent subject was Madeline, a senior at Clackamas High School.

Recently I had the privilege of photographing Madeline.  When she called

our studio to set up her senior portraits, I could tell right away that she was sweet with a little shy mixed in.

We talked for a while as I tried to get a feel of what Madeline was looking for in her senior portraits.  I suggested we meet in downtown Portland at the waterfront.

Madeline’s perspective

I had a phenomenal experience with Visual impressions Photography. I’m pretty

Senior photos from Visual Impressions Photography

Madeleine photographed by Visual Impressions Photography

shy, so I was nervous about getting my senior pictures taken. But Amanda made me feel totally comfortable and the pictures turned out great.

Melissa, Madeline’s mother

Our experience with Visual Impressions photography exceeded our expectations. When we talked to Amanda, she had great ideas for where the pictures could be taken. One of her suggestions was the downtown waterfront. It was an ideal location because she was able to take pictures by the bridges, in the grass, by the river, by Saturday market, and by the trees.

Amanda

When I met Madeline for the first time I was struck by how quiet she was. The fun part of my job beyond photography is to get to know my clients and draw out that sparkle that might be hiding behind a shy exterior.

Madeline had her mom and sister with her and it was nice to meet her family.

As the session moved on I was so excited for the images we were getting and also for how Madeline was warming up. She is such an interesting person. She has a passion for reading and shares her enthusiasm with you as she talks about one of her favorite authors.

At the end of our session I was very excited to have Madeline and her family back to the studio to view her images.

Madeleine

I really think [the photos will] stand out in the yearbook. She helped me choose a location (Downtown Portland) and she had some ideas for poses, which was incredibly helpful. Plus, she took care of sending in my senior pictures to my school directly, taking the hassle out of yearbook photo submissions.

Melissa

Amanda made us feel comfortable and we had so many awesome pictures to choose from afterwards. Amanda could send the yearbook pictures directly to the school, saving us time and worry. The overall experience was wonderful.

Amanda

In the end Madeline fell in love with my personal favorite image, the one that shows that sparkle in her beautiful eyes while picking up the green hues of the Portland summer grass.

She will definitely stand out in her Yearbook Photo.

Thank you for choosing me as your photographer Madeline, and good luck as you make your mark on the world.

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Family Photos with Bryn and Paul

18 Thursday Sep 2014

Posted by brynwittmayer in Childrens photography, Family Photography

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Client Blog, Family Photos, Social Media

Recently, I took family photos for the family of my social media consultant, Bryn of Wittmayer Social Media.  We’re trying a new thing here on the blog with photo session posts, and for this one Bryn and I are each going to share our thoughts on the session.

Family Time.

Family Time.

Amanda

Having already worked with Bryn for our social media needs I knew we were going to have fun. I was excited and nervous because it’s always really important to me to make a good connection with the whole family. The two young girls were vibrant, and curious. I loved the clothing choices because you could tell the girls were really proud of what they were wearing.

Bryn

Amanda is one of my first clients and I knew that she and I would work well together.  But adding my family to the mix?  I was a bit nervous about that.  She made us all feel comfortable right away and my kids immediately loved her.  Also, getting my family ready for photos is always stressful.  As the mom I worry about what everyone will wear and how they will look together in the finished photos.  My girls badly wanted to wear some fairly bright and colorful dresses that didn’t leave me with a lot of options for my own clothes.  Looking at the finished photos, I like how they look, but I wish I was wearing something better.  Why do we do that as women?  When we’re looking at a gorgeous image of our family, why do we focus on the imperfections in our own appearance?  We’re too hard on ourselves.  Every time I look at one of these amazing photos, I try to remind myself how happy we all look together.

Amanda

Bryn and Paul's family

Bryn and Paul’s family

When working with someone I have an existing relationship with, it is extra important for me to make them feel comfortable enough in front of the camera that they don’t feel “staged”. Bryn’s family was so wonderful together that I was able to guide and nudge the little ones into scenarios that created beautiful and natural images. Asking the girls to do something or say something silly to engage mom and dad often allows mom and dad to focus on them instead of the fact that they are having their pictures taken.

Bryn

The photo session went fairly smoothly, especially when I forgot to worry so much about if my youngest was smiling and just let her be her natural self.  Without Amanda’s encouragement I probably could not have done that.  I was extremely conscious of looking good in front of Amanda, who is a valued client, but as we got into it I found all of that fell away.   As I focused on looking like a loving family, I increasingly felt like a loving family in ways I sometimes forget in the bustle of everyday life.

Amanda

While it was important for me to create a great lasting family portrait for this family, I also found myself drawn to the close relationship between the two girls. Capturing these precious candid moments allowed me to see how these two interact on a daily basis and really helped me feel connected to their family. I always feel blessed when I photograph a new client, it takes a level of trust to allow someone access to your family; to be able to glimpse the intimate connections between them is a true honor.

Bryn

The girls together with Dad in the background.

The girls together with Dad in the background.

The best moments of the photo shoot were the natural ones.  My favorite photo so far is this one where my oldest daughter picked up my youngest.  That is something she does all the time, and to capture that love between them, with Paul looking on in the background, is a treasure.

I didn’t want the morning to end.  We had so much fun with Amanda and so much fun together that I wanted to keep going.  It’s almost a cliche, but taking photos together really reminded me to take time to just have fun together.  Life is so busy, ballet, soccer, homework, chores, that sometimes we just don’t have fun.  This was a morning of fun together and it made it clear how much we need that as a family.

Thanks Amanda for the wonderful photos!

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Stop! Don’t steal those photos!

27 Wednesday Aug 2014

Posted by brynwittmayer in Business, How to, Informational

≈ Comments Off on Stop! Don’t steal those photos!

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Childrens photography, Childrens Portraits, Copyright, digital photography, Family Photos, photographer

A photographer works hard and creates beautiful photos of a family. The mom is so thrilled with the photographer’s work, that she scans some of her prints and shares them on Facebook with her friends and family. The photographer is stuck, not wanting to alienate a valuable client by asking for photos to be removed, but also seeing a poor version of her work posted online.

She sends the mom a message asking that the photographs be removed from Photographic Copyright and Yousocial media, as gently as possible saying that the package the family purchased did not include social media. The mom is angry and indignant. She paid for those photographs; she should get to post them anywhere she wants.

Some version of this has happened to many of us, or to someone we know. Your photographer took beautiful photos that captured the spirit of your family. You want to share her work with everyone, so you scan one and post it on Facebook. You don’t know that you’ve broken the law and stolen from her.

The visual internet is so powerful that most people repost or share without even thinking about ownership. When we have photos with our family in them, we think that we own the photos, not the photographer. It is only natural to want to share them with everyone!

Photographers own the copyright to the photos they take. This means that no matter who is in the photos, they own the right to reproduce them and reproduction includes all forms of social media. When they sell you prints they are not necessarily selling you the right to reprint and post those photos anywhere you want. If you did not purchase that right and you repost the photo, you are stealing from your photographer, just the same as if you stole a candy bar from a store.

Photographic copyright in the United States has been protected since the Copyright Act of 1976. It’s clear that photographers own their images from the moment of creation. Educating the public on photo copyright is an ongoing issue for those of us who make our living this way. We depend on reprints as a source of income: to pay our bills and feed our families.

So, you want to share your photos, but you do not want to steal, what can you do? Talk to your photographer! Many already have packages that include permission to post your images on social media if you leave the photographer’s logo or other copyright information. Before you take a quick photo with your iPhone and post an image on Instagram, ask; before you share something on Facebook, send your photographer an email and secure permission.

Photographers want their images to be seen and loved. Let’s work together to find a way to do that legally!

If you’d like to learn more about photographers and copyright, check out the sources below.

Sources:

Understanding Photographic Copyright, Professional Photographers of America

Copyright Guide for Photographers, American Society of Media Photographers.

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What Do You Want to Be? Special Event

15 Friday Aug 2014

Posted by brynwittmayer in Business, Childrens photography, Family Photography, Upcoming events

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

affordable photography, children, Childrens photography, Childrens Portraits, digital photography, Grow Up, photography, Special Event

Visual Impressions Special Event

Visual Impressions Special Event

What do you want to be when you grow up? It can be so much fun to ask kids this question. You never know what they’re going to answer!

This fall, we’re celebrating that joy with special What Do You Want to Be? photo sessions.   Bring your kids in for a short session, complete with special props, and mark the start of a new school year and the new ambitions it brings.

This special event runs only from September 5th to 20th. So book your session today. Space is limited.

I want to be ...

I want to be …

This event is open to all ages and is a great way to explore custom portraiture.

Customers will enjoy our special “Limited Edition” pricing during this event only.    Check out our limited edition price list for the packages offered during this special event.

Contact Amanda today to schedule your session for our What do you want to Be? event. Together we will create beautiful photographs to treasure for a lifetime.

Get in touch at (503) 320-3076.

There are so many products to choose from and we are very excited to work with you this fall.

Grown Up Dreams

Grown Up Dreams

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