What to Expect

I specialize in timeless, true-to-color images done with natural light! I love to mix interactive and traditional posing in our sessions. I want to see your beautiful, smiling faces, and I also want to capture the love and emotion that you feel for each other. It could be in the most natural environment possible-your home, or at the location of your choice! I want to capture the REAL you, not the fake posing you! I absolutely ADORE doing sessions 1-2 hours prior to sunset or just after sunrise!! The soft, glowing light of those times of the day make the most spectacular portraits!

The Session

I always start my sessions with a "smiling at the camera picture" before moving on to more interactive poses and prompts. I'll always prompt and direct you--but never ask you do to anything that feels wrong or leaves you hanging with no idea what you should be doing next. The objective isn't just to take pretty pictures, but to capture this stage of your life, exactly as it is. Most of my sessions last about an an hour, but if they take longer that's fine too!

Couples and Families

Don't hold back...be you! This may seem obvious, but sometimes it’s tough to really commit to it. I want you to set the tone and mood of the shoot, not what you think a session should look like. Are you silly? Or are you introverted? I want to capture all those little moments you might otherwise consider the “outtakes.” Don’t act like you think you should, I want to capture you as you are. Dress like yourself...dress comfortably, don’t feel like you need to “dress up.” I find that people feel most comfortable being themselves when they are dressed comfortably. If you are feeling fancy, go for it! Wear those long flowing dresses, heels, scarves and hats!! If you want to be relaxed in jeans - that works too! Just be comfortable in YOUR style!

Forget the "photoshoot" part: You’re not there for me. I’m there for you: to document your love & laughter. The objective isn’t just to take pretty pictures. It's to capture an exciting stage in your life, while spending time together. It's very likely that the last time you got your picture taken “professionally” was for an awkward high school photo or for super posed family portraits. I promise you, it will be nothing like that. So forget the camera, and focus on enjoying the evening!

Pick an environment that reflects you!

Remember these portraits are about you, the backdrop is just that - a background. So pick places that make you feel at ease. The setting, location, and weather will affect your mood and the mood of the photos. I want to make sure you’re surrounded by what you love, whether that be your own home, your favorite café or coffee shop, open fields, parks, city streets, or just exploring your favorite neighborhood! Be creative if you want and think outside the box!! If you want to use classic or muscle cars, motorcycles, or even your pets...absolutely lets do it!!! I encourage you to brainstorm unique locations that you might have special access to that most people don’t. For example, maybe you, or someone in your personal or professional network, can secure permission to a location that would otherwise be off-limits, like a beautiful private estate, country y club or resort. Maybe it’s a family ranch, upscale hotel or even a boat, airplane hangar or a rooftop view. The sky is literally the limit! Spend a few minutes thinking about it and checking around. You’ll be surprised with what you come up with. Plus, if something seems out of reach, just remember: you never know until you ask!

Families

Let's have fun!! It's important that I keep your family close together while you keep your children engaged in fun! This can mean tickling your kids, or seeing how they can pile up and hug on Mom and Dad. It can also mean allowing your littles to play with leaves or sticks, run through the tall grass, talk about tall of their favorite things that make them laugh, smile and have fun. Or maybe your little just wants to be held and cuddled by you the whole session--that's ok too, we will make it work together. I'm here to document all the love for you!

Follow your child's lead: Once we get the "posed" portraits out of the way, you know, the ones for the grandparents with everyone looking at the camera, we can relax a little bit. My favorite portraits are always the ones where we allow children to naturally explore and get into something he or she wants to do. When we let children lead the way, they will naturally be more motivated to interact and play, and this helps to bring out all the natural expressions as well!!

Engage your child in an activity: I utilize interactive poses and prompts to keep children interested and having fun during our time together. And of course your four legged family members are always welcome for your session!

Newborns

Your newborn session will be a special milestone in your baby's life. I want to help you tell the story of your new baby and create a calm and peaceful environment during our time together. From all of the tiny details to the connection your family has with its newest addition, it is my goal to capture timeless images that will freeze this small moment in time to be cherished forever! We will plan your newborn session around their feeding schedule so that they are comfortable and content!

If you prefer a lifestyle type session, I will happily come to your home where your newborn is most comfortable. You should expect me to arrive 15-20 minutes before your scheduled session time to allow me to unpack my gear and get set up to photograph baby in his crib, in your arms, with the pets-we will brainstorm and come up with a session that fits your vibe. Or I would love to take babies portraits in my studio that is complete with newborn friendly lighting, props, as well as lots of beautiful newborn outfits and wraps to get the cutest snuggly portraits!

Seniors

Check out all of your information on the "Options" page! You are my favorite group to spoil and make every session unique to YOU and what YOU love!

#1 asked question about Family Portrait Sessions....What to Wear!!

Advice on what to wear for your portrait session changes with the yearly trends--but my answer will always be..."What vibe are you going for with your session? What fits YOU? What are you comfortable in? What style fits you and your family? Is it jeans and casual t-shirts, or is it long, flowing cotton dresses with the guys in dress paints and linen shirts?"

I am more than happy to discuss your clothing choices and make sure that your clothing coordinates with the location we have chosen for your session. Send me pictures of your selections and let's discuss them and create your style of session together!

Choose your palette first: Pick a palette of 2-4 colors. Let this be your starting place. Think in terms of tones - blue tones, earth tones, neutrals, pastels, etc.

Choose loose, flowy, natural fabrics like linen, cottons etc. that will move freely with you & keep you comfy during your session.

You do not all need to match, but instead coordinate with each other!!!

It is ideal to complement each other's outfits by choosing colors that work well together. I find that if everyone is wearing the same clothing, people will all tend to blend in together and there won't be much pop and life to the portraits.

If choosing patterns choose smaller ones that won't pull attention away from the main subjects, and only put one person in a pattern (the rule of thumb for families is one person in a pattern per 3 people).

When thinking about texture, choose different ones that will give photos some interest such as lace, corduroy, denim, and knits.

Avoid large prints, patterns, and any graphics, branding, or logos if wearing t-shirts.

Layering: One of my favorite tips for clothing choices! In the summer months, this may be more difficult to pull off, but during other seasons, definitely layer your outfits. Not only will it provide more visual interest in each portrait but it will also allow a lot more variety in your shots and poses.

Keep make-up NATURAL:  Avoid using very heavy makeup, just a bit of color on your lips, eyes, and cheeks goes a long way in portraits. Be sure to bring some lip gloss with you for touch ups as there may be lots of smooches from your partner and little ones!

Accessories give your portraits that needed punch! They lend pops of color, personality, and interest. Everybody wears them well and they work for all ages.

I also have a Pinterest page that i love if you want to check it out! https://www.pinterest.com/jewl06/style-inspiration/