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Connor – Bountiful Newborn Photography January 24, 2012
I’m back! Can you believe it? I didn’t realize my blogging would be the thing to suffer so when I had my third child. Now that my little man is getting bigger and will let me put him down, I am getting back into the swing of things. I was lucky enough to get to photograph this little one over the snowy weekend. His face was just so cute it wasn’t hard to pick out images for his gallery, he was so sweet in all of them. This session is more typical of a hospital session.
A little bit of heaven
Drifted down from above –
A handful of happiness,
A heart full of love.
The mystery of life,
So sacred and sweet
The giver of joy
So deep and complete.
Precious and priceless,
So lovable, too
The world’s sweetest miracle,
Baby boy, is you.
I love photographing newborns, especially the tiny little ones that just can’t help but sleep. This little guy was an angel for his photos. Dad likes tools so we put him in his lumberjack suit and took a couple with his tools all around him. Really sweet boy and adorable doting parents. Thank you for letting come into your home to capture some of these first memories of Connor.
Lovable Urban Family Photos November 10, 2011
Down town Kaysville has a great little section for photos. I have always loved the colors of the building and offices around the movie theater. They recently re-painted so it looks really nice and cleaned up. A great location for a great family. A couple of years ago I did family photos for them and they were so wonderful to work with. Now with another baby boy in the family it was definitely time to do family photos again. Mama is into photography and obviously has an eye for it. She chose colors that were so fun and I adore the matching ties all the boys have on. Mama knows her attention to detail!
LOOK AT HIS FACE!! I just love it! Weeeee
Brotherly love
I put in an order for a blue eyed baby, but I just don’t think I am ever going to get one like this. Stunning baby blues. I am so jealous.
All big brother needs is a halo and he’d be perfect in this image.
He was such a happy boy and man oh man was he smiley.
It is such a pleasure to see your family grow. Thank you for letting me capture some photos with you in them too mama. Keep snapping away!
My Cabott – Farmington Baby Photographer Cortney Jones October 31, 2011
As many of you know I was expecting my third child in September…well here he is in all his new baby bliss. After a very long time of trying to decide on a name we chose Cabott. There is something about him that is quite intoxicating for me. I love to breath him in and snuggle close. He spends most of the day in our big bed so it was fitting to take photos of him there. Pure white for pure innocents made for really beautiful images. This was a very different style for me. It pushes me to both expand my skills and to learn new technical methods really making these some of my favorite kind of photos.
Sweet 16 – Farmington Childrens Photography October 26, 2011
Love love love her smile. At sweet 16 months, this little miss is too cute! I am lucky enough to have her as a model again now that her family has moved back to Utah, YAY!! Little misses mama happens to be a dear friend of mine. She is specially adorable to me because I have been able to photographer her since she could hear her mama’s heart from the inside 🙂 The last photo of her in her halloween costume is just for her mama who said she thinks it’s cute. I think it’s the best ladybug face ever!
Take your camera off Auto! – Part 2 – Camera Controls Part 1 August 26, 2011
One of the first things I suggest doing is to sit down and learn your camera. If it were me with a brand new DSLR I would go through the manual. Love the manual, it is your friend. For now little by little I’ll tell you what it says 🙂
If you have a DSLR, your camera dial looks something like this.
Many people use their camera dial without truly knowing what it is doing. You can get great photos using these dials and there is a reason why they are on there.
Auto Modes – Camera Controls
The Auto button (the green button) takes full control. It evaluates a scene and meters itself and creates the settings. You do not adjust the controls at all, the camera will do it for you and it may pop up the flash. This can work or not! This is best used when you are running around in daylight at a state fair and you need to take quick pictures. Many times images are backlit or overexposed. Every once in awhile you could get a winner.
I put my camera on auto and handed it off to my sister-in-law so I could be in the photo. The auto choose the arch as the more important subject matter and we are hidden in the shadow.
Program Mode is a lot like Automatic mode – the camera will still do most of the setup work for you — but it allows you to manually override some settings. I am a big fan of using the Program Mode when I am in a low light situation but need to get the photo fast. I can decide I don’t want anything above 800 ISO so the grain won’t show up too much in my images. If you didn’t understand any of that, don’t worry, I’ll get to all of it. Icon = P
I couldn’t miss that face!
Portrait Mode – Icon = a head in profile. Use this mode when you want a subject in the foreground in sharp focus. Pretty straightforward. If you have good light, a still subject, and the main focus of the image will be a face, use Portrait Mode.
Check, check, check. Good light, beautiful still model, and the image is focused on her beautiful face…Portrait Mode is a good choice.
Macro Mode – Icon = a flower. Use this mode for extreme close-up shots. This is great for your still objects. Again, you need to watch your light. Most lenses that come with your DSLR are not specifically macro lenses, but this mode will allow for better close up images. To really get the eye of a bug image, you will need a macro lens.
Notice how blurry the background is. This is because the macro mode is focused on the butterfly.
Night Scene Mode – Icon = starry field. Use this mode when you’re shooting a subject at night. This setting illuminates the subject with the flash, while keeping the shutter open longer to provide more light for the background. Remember when the shutter is open longer you can create blur in your image if you or your subject are not still.
I am not a big fan of the ‘pop-up’ flash that most camera have built into them. I try to avoid using it at all costs, but sometimes there is a use for it. You can actually see the flash reflecting off the dancers head in this image.
Sports Mode – Icon = a running figure. Use this mode for shooting scenes with lots of motion, which you want to capture without blurring. This mode does not exist on earlier models of Canon cameras.
Run! Run!
Landscape Mode – Icon = mountains. Use this mode when you want a wide-angle shot with the background in focus.
For practice try to use each one of these modes this weekend. Let me know how it goes.
Next… the creative side of the dial.
Maternity Leave – Sept. 11 – Oct. 31 August 22, 2011
Well, the time has come to announce my maternity leave plans. Although, I am not due until the end of September, I am going to play catch-up with my sessions instead of taking on more. Therefore I am not scheduling any sessions after Sept. 11th. If you are having a baby before then, don’t wait, schedule your session now!
With my son I had only a very short time before I began working from home and I have always wished I had chosen more wisely my priorities. This baby is going to get my full attention for at least the first month of his life. Thus, I will only begin scheduling session again after Oct. 31st. Holiday sessions can be scheduled the first part of November and I promise all images will be ready before December, for those wanting holiday cards.
If you are having a baby while I am on leave and need a referral, I know several talented photographers that would be happy to help you.
Wish me luck!
New Baby Announcement August 12, 2011
The edge around the ‘m’ is called scallop. Mmm sounds delicious, like it wants me to eat it! This is a new custom designed announcement I made special for very wonderful client. Because it is custom designed all elements can be changed and made perfect for your little one, boy or girl. What do you think?
Choosing a midwife – Christy Francis, CNM in Ogden, Utah August 5, 2011
Another little bouncer is expected to join our family at the end of September. That will make this little man #3. Having gone to midwives for both of my first two pregnancies I knew I wanted to go to one again. Christy was an obvious choice for our family. Her office is inside Ogden Regional Hospital, she is knowledgeable and experienced, she is nice and professional. Those are all obvious things about her and her as a midwife. Those are all great reasons to choose her. My criteria is a little more in-depth than choosing for obvious reasons.
Did you know she use to be a labor and delivery nurse? She is a Registered Nurse and has her MASTERS in Nursing, specializing in Midwifery. Christy is a wonderful example of someone who went above and beyond. She is not a lay midwife and that distinction should be recognized.
Here are a few reasons I have loved going to Christy:
- With a pregnancy comes lots of appointments. I have two small children already who are not going to stay well behaved for too long. They get restless, they get rowdy. At Christy’s office I have never waited more than 25 minutes to see her, and that one day that I had to wait 25 minutes, she was assisting in a c-section. I was happy to wait, especially knowing, if I happen to need a c-section, she will still be there for me!
- Closer to the beginning on my pregnancy I caught a really nasty stomach bug (I mean really horrible, up all night, I got to know my toilet intimately, stomach bug.) I texted Christy personally and asked a few questions. She responded right away and told me to come into the office for some ‘just in case’ IV fluids. I was very dehydrated and the IV fluids were wonderful! My color literally changed from the time I went into the office to the time I left. I was able to get the IV fluids I needed right in the office. Had I needed anything else Christy was right there to help. To me that experience alone was exactly how I would hope a caregiver would treat me. I feel like Christy not only cares for me as one of her patients, but also as a person.
- Every time I have an appointment, I also get an ulta sound done. At the end I will have a CD of the ulta sounds for this little life that continues to grow. I will get to remember how he grew from month to month because there it all is on a CD. I didn’t realize how rare this is until I talked to other mother’s to be. I am very happy Christy offers this.
- Everyone in the office is nice. With my son that is now 2.5 I went to 4 different midwives searching for a good fit. One of the first ones I went to had the worst office staff. Christy’s office has always made me and my family feel welcomed. Again, welcomed as a person not just a patient.
- I could probably make a very long list of the reasons I chose Christy, but this last one is where I will stop. Christy has a calm nature about her. Currently my little bun is breech and while I was very concerned about what that might mean, Christy has made me feel very at ease about it now. She is not worried about it, especially at this point in my pregnancy, and has several things in mind we can try to turn him when the time is right. I trust her and that calmness puts my mind at rest. I know she has taken very good care of me and will continue to do so.
What do/did you look for in your CNM or Dr.?
Tips from a professional maternity photographer July 18, 2011
Here are some tips for the do it yourselfer’s…
1 – Use a self timer and experiment! Set the camera on a tripod or a higher piece of furniture and work those curves.
2 – Rub that belly. Before taking pictures remove elastic on your tummy for 1-2 hours and massage the belly with lotion.
3 – Wear tight fitting clothes or break out the cute boy shorts and tank tops and strike a pose.
4 – Ask a partner to stand on an area higher than you and shoot downwards towards the belly for a better view.
5 – Photograph yourself in the mirror (no flash).
6 – Simplify your surroundings – remove the clutter so you can focus on the tummy.
7 – If you have other children, get them involved. Ask them to take a picture or use a self timer on both of you.
And if you go the professional route:
1 – Do your research and find a photographer who specializes in pregnancy portraiture – and newborn too!
2 – Don’t settle – find a photographer whose work you enjoy and don’t just grab anybody.
3 – Decide where you are most comfortable- home or on-location such as the park.
4 – Get plenty of sleep before the big day.
5 – On the day of the shoot, eat a great big meal and lots of water. Pregnancy sessions can be tiring. You want to be well-fed and hydrated.
6 – Rest up and don’t stand too much before your session.
7 – If the veins in your hands are bulging, raise them up above your head for a few minutes between photos.
8 – Grab your partner, baby’s sibling or pets and include them in the photo.
9 – Bring sentimental items such as baby shoes, jewelry, or items handed down from other generations, and include them in the photo.
10 – Have fun and relax. There is no other time quite like this!
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