Tag Archives: Family Photos

How to plan for a Family Portrait Session

06 Monday Apr 2015

Posted by in Authentic, Business, Childrens photography, Family Photography, Fun, How to, Informational

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If you’re anything like my family you probably have a million pictures of your children, tucked away, on your walls, in albums…everywhere. The surprise to most of us is that when we look around we realize it has been 2, 3, even 5 years since our last family portrait. Once we realize this it is then up to us to find, plan, and implement that task of a new family portrait session.

At Visual Impressions Photography it is my joy to help you through the planning process to the session and on to the design of your art pieces for your home. A few things are key to getting ready for your session and while my in person consultation will cover all these, I wanted to post the most helpful tips for planning for your next session here.
4A3A88201. A lot of people worry about what they’re going to wear to their portraits.  As you begin to mentally plan what you will wear to your session, look around your home, get a sense of your decorating style and color palette. Since your portraits will be highlighted on your walls you will want to wear a complimentary color that will compliment your space. Great color schemes included, colors from the same family but not necessarily the same shade, this gives the sense of cohesion important in a family portrait while also showcasing each family member’s individuality.

2. We all want our family portraits to look fabulous, even going to get a fresh haircut or color the day before the session. I recommend getting a new color no closer than a week to your session, this allows that you will still have that fresh new shine to your hair but will avoid any mistakes during the color process giving things time to “settle”. With haircuts, I recommend no closer than 3 days to the session as this gives you plenty of time to become accustomed to your new look and style.

4A3A95693. Any time we are planning a portrait session with small children we want to keep their schedule in mind. When are they at their best? Are they morning people or better in the later part of the day. Once you pinpoint this you can schedule your session accordingly to give your little ones the best chance for success.

4. Another point for small children is that they not be “coached”, by this I mean to avoid children who have been so prepared that they can’t relax and give a natural smile. Please tell the kids what the plan is but don’t mention smiles, the word “cheese”, or “please smile naturally”.  Most young children will give a natural look without any coaching. That being said, I should point out that I completely believe in “bribes”, I have a small stash of smarties in my studio that I will offer to young children that need a little coaxing. I always get approval from mom and dad before offering any treats and only have to use my stash 20% of the time.4A3A8532

These 4 pointers are suggestions meant to put you on the road to a great portrait experience. While they are helpful in any portrait situation I do want to stress how important a consultation is prior to your session, this is where I will go over our plan one-on-one and we will nail down your expectations and goals and build the session around your desires and style.

 

Baby bunnies, little hands and big hearts.

28 Saturday Feb 2015

Posted by in Childrens photography, Family Photography, Fun, Upcoming events

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Bunnies from our 2012 session.

Bunnies!  How much would your kids love to play with baby bunnies? Just imagine how precious the photos of their joy and excitement would be.

A lot of studios give you stuffed animals, but at Visual Impressions, we have baby bunnies for spring photos.  The difference you see in the joy, enthusiasm and tenderness in your children’s photos is tremendous.  Children are mesmerized and they forget the camera is even there.  That’s how I get the best photos!

I can’t believe it is closing in on spring already. These are my very favorite mini sessions and they’re just around the corner.

Spring Event, bunny, easter

2014 session

This year we have 7 bunnies coming to join us from a local breeder in Salem, OR. These bunnies are handled with care from a very young age and come to us ready to play! As our mini sessions take off our bunnies are expected to be about 2-3 lbs each, tiny precious bundles matched only by our own precious little children for cuteness.

Every year we choose a custom background that enhances the experience and creates a unique and special experience for our young clients. The sessions this season will begin March 14th and go through March 20th, they usually fill up fast so please contact us soon to reserve your spot!

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2014 session

The session fee is –per family ~ For complete pricing and package information click here.

Or for your convenience you can fill out the form below and we will contact you!

The time is right for newborn photos

12 Thursday Feb 2015

Posted by in Childrens photography, Newborn Photography

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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.

When to Schedule Professional Portraits

02 Tuesday Dec 2014

Posted by in Childrens photography, How to, Informational

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There are so many opportunities to take professional portraits, and some of my favorite are the non-traditional times.  Many people limit this services to yearly highlights, but there are so many more times a year that make for good portrait sessions.

Some typical life events to hire a professional that we all know are:

  • weddings
  • newborns
  • high school seniors
  • annual family portraits
  • birthdays

While these are the most common reasons to commission professional portraits they are not the only reasons.

We have clients come into the studio for many reasons and some of my favorites may surprise you.  Once I photographed a 12-year-old girl and her new pug to celebrate his arrival in the family.  Puppy Love

Bringing pets along for a portrait session, or building a session around a furry friend is a great way to celebrate their role in our lives. Our pets are part of the family and often make family portrait feel complete.

 

 

We love to create custom thank you cards and our clients do too. By creating a portrait session following an event –birthdays, weddings, etc.– you benefit from custom images you will get to enjoy for a lifetime as well as a unique way to thank your guests for their attendance. This sweet little girl just celebrated a birthday and wanted a special way to say thank you to her friends and family for sharing in the celebration.

Thank you

 

 

 

 

 

 

Any event in life is worth photographing.  If you want a to capture a time in your life to treasure forever, that is the perfect time to call in a professional.  Whether it’s for newborn portraits or lifestyle pictures the end result will be memories you will never forget and the freedom to enjoy your life while a professional handles the details.

 

Family Photos with Bryn and Paul

18 Thursday Sep 2014

Posted by in Childrens photography, Family Photography

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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!

Stop! Don’t steal those photos!

27 Wednesday Aug 2014

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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.

Fill your home with Portraits, your shelves with albums, and your hearts with memories.

25 Friday Jul 2014

Posted by in Business, Family Photography, Informational

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I remember when it became popular to purchase the digital files from a portrait session: to have that need to “own” all the images created by the photographer. It has become common to hire students, relatives, or another talented individual for a minimal fee and receive all images on a CD or thumb drive. When you do this, you lose so much and you might not even realize it.

What we don’t realize is that this is not the first time customers have felt the need to own everything created at a portrait session. Prior to digital it was common for customers to inquire about purchasing the negatives, and often they were turned down. Owning the negative meant the photographer was able to protect the quality of the final product before it left the studio.

Today we see the desire to own the digital files and often as photographers we feel pressured to comply. Many times a customer is intent on owning the digital files because it has become so commonplace and they don’t know of an alternative. Many of my clients who have come to me, have at one point or another purchased digital files from someone.  When I ask them if they have printed any or shared them they have often (about 75%) admitted that not only have they done nothing with the files, but they are not sure where they are.

A photo book by Visual Impressions Photography

A photo album by Visual Impressions Photography

As an artist I want to give you Art to cherish. I do not sell photo paper and so my prices will reflect that, but like any boutique you visit or art piece you purchase there is an experience to be had, a sense of ownership in a completed piece, and an heirloom to carry on your memories to your children. What I have often found with my clients is that while they may initially feel they need the digital files, after we explain that all that we offer in our products – color correcting, editing, and quality – are so easily discarded when a client walks out with a file instead of art. I am no longer in control of where my image is printed or what quality the end result will be and the client loses all of those services.

Canvas Wall Art

Canvas Wall Art

At Visual Impressions I create custom pieces of work for my clients including canvas wraps, albums, and so much more. These heirlooms are meant to last for many generations and to be shared and passed down through your family. They are worth so much more on your walls and coffee tables, bookshelves and nightstands than images on a CD relegated to a dark box at the bottom of a closed closet.

Together at Visual Impressions we make a lasting piece of art that does not deserve to languish on a CD. It deserves to live on your walls where you and your family will love it for generations.