South Bend Indiana Family Photographer - Fischer Holiday Documentary Gallery

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I have been so excited to reveal this gallery publicly! This family was my first official in-home session when I was first starting out and to say that I was grateful for them would be an understatement. When Momma Fischer contacted me to book a holiday session, I was SUPER excited! I mean, not only did this great family give me a chance when I was still building a portfolio, but they apparently liked me enough to come back. That's just flattering and humbling.

I loved their first session because it told the story of their new, still being renovated home. Where some people might be hesitant because all the trim wasn't up, or there was some clutter, Momma F saw the true value in all of that. It was all just part of their story along the way to a forever family home! 

This holiday session was no different. Baby G was all smiles and curiosity and just confirmed that I love sessions with toddlers. Momma Fischer had an old family cookie recipe that she wanted to bust out for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and Baby G and Daddy Fischer were very willing taste testers...even Puppy Ax got in on the taste testing! Throughout this session, the warmth and honest family interactions just radiated from all three of them and I know that years down the road, Momma, Daddy, and Baby G are going to love flipping through their holiday photo book and laugh together. 

South Bend Indiana Newborn Fresh 48 Photography - The "When"

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So we have covered the WHAT and WHERE of the Fresh 48 which means today we cover the WHEN. Now this might seem obvious (during the first 48 hours, duh), but the truth is that there are a lot of options in those 48 hours!

The first hours - Choosing to capture the very first minutes or hours after birth is such an incredible option. It's a close second to actual birth photography yet still allows for the privacy of the actual labor and delivery while capturing those emotion filled minutes of meeting your baby. A lot happens in the first few hours after birth (skin-to-skin, first nurse, footprints, weighing and measurements, possibly the first bath) that will fly past and easily get lost in the flood of feelings and chaos. Choosing to have this time documented will enable you to look back and recall all of those beautiful moments.

The family meetings - Whether this is your first baby or your tenth, your family will undoubtedly be excited to meet this new member! There is hardly anything that comes across as beautifully on camera as tear and smile filled loved ones falling head over heals for your newborn. Choosing to have this first meeting captured will offer you and your loved ones a lifetime of memories; not to mention a humbling experience for your baby years down the road when they see how much they were loved immediately upon their arrival. 

The exit - This one gets passed over a lot but is one of my favorites! After the fastest / longest 48+ hours of your life, its finally time to go home! This is the most terrifying and exciting moment of your journey so far and it makes for such an amazing session. Between dressing baby in their going-home outfits, saying goodbye to the nurses (and begging them to come home with you), packing your bags and headed out the door, there are so many priceless moments happening that need to remembered. 

As you can see, just because it is a session that happens in the first 48 hours doesn't mean you are limited or that your images are going to be generic or look like anyone else's. That's the beauty in documentary storytelling photography; it is the tale of your newborn and therefore, completely unique and beautiful. 

Like what you see? CONTACT ME.

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Osceola Indiana Family Photographer - The Watts Sneak Peek

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Saturday was the first in-home holiday family session of the season and it was everything I had hoped! This sweet family welcomed me into their home and their traditions and made me feel like I belonged there. Between their perfectly decorated home (seriously, I might be asking Momma Watts to come and give my house a face lift), their two gorgeous babes, and their obvious love for each other, I couldn't have asked for a better session. Full gallery to come...

Like what you see? CONTACT ME.

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Granger Indiana Birth, Fresh 48, and Newborn Photographer - The WHERE of Fresh 48's

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Last week, I covered the WHAT of Fresh 48's. This week, lets talk about the WHERE...

The beauty of a Fresh 48 session is that it comes to you. Whatever type of birth you chose (or fate chose) to have, Fresh 48's can accommodate. Here are the three most common Fresh 48 locations and some details:

Hospitals - Many Fresh 48 sessions take place in the mother/baby unit of the hospital during visiting hours. This allows the photographer to capture many of those "firsts" that happen, like the first bath, first diaper change, first meeting of siblings or family. Don't think that because you are birthing in a hospital that the setting will somehow be cold or unappealing! They're actually almost always warm, welcoming, and comfortable for everyone involved.

Birth Centers - Some Fresh 48 sessions happen at a Birth Center. Somewhere between a hospital and a home birth, birth centers are usually low stress, calm and serene and offer a great setting for a Fresh 48. It also allows you to include the midwives or OB's who have played such a huge role in your pregnancy and now delivery since birth centers are focused on individualized care and relationships. Please remember though, many birth centers try and get you back to the comfort of your own home ASAP so plan accordingly for your photographer!

Home Births - For those who choose to have their babies at home, Fresh 48 sessions are absolutely still an option for you! You have the luxury of being in your own surroundings with your own comforts with a tiny newborn in your arms. This can make such a beautiful setting for your session and will absolutely melt your heart down the road.

Wherever your birth takes place, Fresh 48's are a great option to capture the memories that you are making with your brand new baby. 

Like what you see? CONTACT ME.

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Granger Indiana Family Documentary and Storytelling Photography - It's in the Details

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Sometimes, we get so caught up in the "Hallmark moments" of life that we forget to appreciate the little things. It's the same case in photography! Sometimes when clients, and even I, go through a gallery, I get so swept up in the amazing interactions and big, honest emotions that the details get lost. So this week, I am challenging myself and YOU to stop and look at the little things. Notice the way your child sticks out their tongue while drawing, watches tv with their mouth hanging open obliviously, or plays with your hair whenever they need just a little extra comfort (my daughter does this). Go ahead and add those awesome little details to your list of reasons that a documentary family session is the right choice for you...

Like what you see? CONTACT ME.

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Granger Indiana Family Documentary Storytelling Photography - Happy Halloween!

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Halloween has always been a fun event but now that I have a toddler, it brings a whole new level of excitement to the table. Dressing her up and watching her face literally light up when she realized that people were putting CANDY in her bucket was such a great experience. In fact, it made me think that this would make for an awesome family photography session next year! What a fun story to capture: all of the costume prep and dress up, bustling out the door, kids hardly able to contain their excitement, the after trick-or-treating candy slam, sugar rushes followed by the sugar crashes...yup, sounds like a must do next year! 

Keeping the post short and sweet today. Everyone have a safe and fun Halloween! 

Love this little sequence! The candy hand-off, the investigation of the bucket, the "AHA!" moment. 

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South Bend Indiana Documentary Lifestyle Photographer - Cherished Moments

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Going in a slightly different direction today and discussing my personal projects...

I think it's safe to say that nearly all photographers, especially documentary photographers, challenge themselves with personal photography projects. This year, I decided to take on a modified 365 project (modified in that rather than starting on January 1st, I started my year at my daughter's first birthday). So that means, Baby F's entire second year has one photo per day. At first, I took this on because I wanted to improve my photography skills but then, it turned into something entirely different - and so much more. 

I'm about to hit my 200 day mark and I took a minute (or hour) to go back through her daily photos. It was like reading your favorite, best written novel where you cry, laugh, smile, cringe. You get the full array of feels. Seeing how much she has changed in just 200 days and seeing all that she has experienced is humbling. Having made the transition to a stay-at-home-mom less than a year ago, I was fearful that our days would be mundane and repetitive but after looking through those images, it was stunningly clear how amazing her little life is and how blessed I am to be experiencing it alongside her. 

How does this apply to BBP? Well, it just emphasizes the importance of capturing your children while they are little and making sure that their little milestones don't go unnoticed. It reiterates how quickly our babies change and how valuable it is having images that show them as they are, in unique, beautiful, fun ways. 

So, in conclusion, here's a little taste of the our daily lives behind the lens (please forgive the inconsistent watermarks as I upgraded a couple of weeks ago):

Why don't I post my daily images publicly? While I don't mind sharing my daughter's images with the world, I also try and consider her future feelings as an adolescent and adult. Occasional image shares I think are fair game from ANY momma, but some of her life deserves to stay private. 

 

Like what you see? CONTACT ME.

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Nappanee Indiana Family Documentary Photographer - Anderson Short Story

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For this session, this family chose a location that had special meaning to them; the same location where they took their engagement photos. I was so excited and despite being directionally impaired AND being in Nappanee (aka the land of no road signs and farm land far as the eye can see), I made it thanks to Kim's tech savvy GPS tricks.

Not only was the location for this session gorgeous, but we had absolutely perfect conditions for an awesome outdoor fall short story family session. While toddlers tend to be the most challenging photo subjects, they're also the most fun and photogenic and this case was no different. Chasing this little guy around and watching him interact with his ridiculously adorable parents was a pleasure and getting to capture it on film was just the icing on the cake.

When locations like this one hold special meaning to mom and dad, it ads to the story of their family. While we may not have had a boat for this session like they did for their engagement pictures, we did have some pretty amazing fall colors and an intense game of hide and seek (aka "hide a boo" says Baby T). The connection between this family was obvious and the pure fun that radiated from them clearly showed up in their images. I'm so glad that the Anderson's allowed me to be a part of their story and capture some fall memories for their family. 

South Bend Newborn and Family Photography / Photographer - Tips for a Great In-Home Documentary Session

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Never experienced an in-home documentary newborn or family photography session before? No problem! It's honestly probably the least stressful type of session you will ever experience. But even so, here are some tips for ensuring that your experience is a great one: 

  • Accept that this IS NOT a portrait session. From childhood, we are preconditioned to smile and say "cheese" when someone takes out a camera. (Seriously, its comical. Whip out a camera and if someone spots you taking a picture, I can almost guarantee they will stop what they're doing and smile awkwardly at you). It's not your fault! But seriously, folks, fight the urge. Go about your normal business of loving on your kids and family, pick up after them, parent them, play with them, tickle them. It won't feel like it during the session, but I promise you that when you open that gallery, you will love what you see. 

"Hands where I can see um, Mom!" Logan kept the ball rolling FOR us with all of his fun toddlerisms. 

 

  • Clear the clutter but don't stress over the mess. Cameras wont pick up the dust bunnies or dog hair (don't believe me? Check out our story and tell me if you see the massive amounts of dog hair that accumulate despite daily sweeping) and if something is too distracting, I will move it during the session. Moving major clutter is a good idea for clean cut, appealing images but the cheerios that end up on the counter and the four shirts that are tossed aside while attempting to dress you toddler aren't a distraction, they're an asset. They add to your story at the time. You wont have legos hidden in every corner forever and one day, when you're not stepping on them in the middle of the night, the site of them in your photos will make you smile.

Dirty coffee cup, paper plate, cluttered counters...bet you didn't notice that stuff! Neither did I. What you DID see was the adorable breakfast date happening at the bartop. 

 

  • Have pre-planned activities. This is a wildly important part of a successful session. During pre-session communication, this will come up a lot but I want to stress it here as well (it's that important). Think about what your family likes to do together. Watch movies and eat popcorn? Cook breakfast on Saturday mornings? Play board games? Read books? As "simple" and "ordinary" as they might sound, these all make great stories to tell in pictures! Your daily routines and activities can be captured to look beautiful and frame worthy as long as you keep the activities rolling!

Painting is a great activity for toddlers and pre-schoolers alike!

 

  • Love each other. Being physically close to one another makes your photographer's job SO much easier and in turn, your images will be better. Every parent wants pictures of their family and children together so making sure that some of your activities include everyone is a key factor. Engage with your children all together and encourage them to play together during the session and you will end up with some heartwarming images. 

Being physically near one another wasn't hard for this loving family of three (family of 25 if you include all their dogs, cats, and chickens haha). 

In-Home Holiday Family Stories - Granger Family Lifestyle Documentary Photographer

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It's crazy to me that the holidays are on my mind already! I've started making Christmas lists, discussing what family we will see on which days, planning new family traditions for our growing toddler to enjoy...

Traditions are something I've been looking forward to starting since we got married. While there were a few small ones we did as a couple, I don't think they became fully appreciated until we had a baby. Now, I can't wait to do things like bake holiday cookies and watch cheesy Christmas movies and wrap presents. Those are the memories that I want our daughter to cherish and I want to be able to smile whenever I think about them.

That's the beauty in documentary photography! It doesn't force your family into poses with props that don't have any real meaning to you. It takes something that is already special and meaningful and captures it in a creative, beautiful way. I think that's the best of both worlds! You get your gorgeous holiday photos perfect for the Christmas cards but you also get the chance to cherish your traditions for years to come. Holiday sessions are already booking fast and weekend slots are the first to go. Don't let your story go untold!

Lakeville Indiana Storytelling and Documentary Family Photography - Balmer Short Story

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This short story was REALLY short - thank you mosquito plague of 2016! Good thing everyone was still able to have a great time and I was able to grab some good shots. I had so much fun with this big group and it was so funny to see the totally different personalities from each kiddo. I think those individual personalities show through pretty well in these photos! However, these siblings all had one thing in common and that was an obvious love for fun and each other. Not to mention I got to photograph an old student! 

Why I Don't Mind Outdoor Sessions in the Fall - Michiana Storytelling and Family Documentary Lifestyle Photographer

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As a documentary photographer, I'm one of those weird people who genuinely prefer shooting indoors for a lot of reasons. First, indoor light offers more unique lighting opportunities. Some of my favorite shots are a direct result of window light falling just right. I also love getting to capture someone's home because that is the setting to all of our stories; our homes are the heart of our lives. The place where we wake up each morning and fall asleep each night. To me, that is so important in producing great documentary images! 

 

Isn't this light fantastic?! (Swoon)

 

However, as much as I don't want to admit it, I really don't mind doing outdoor sessions in the fall. The warmth of the colors, the soft light at sunset, and the comfy fall clothes all make it totally worth it. Autumn is such a great time to take short story and full story sessions! Don't let your story go untold...

Like what you see? CONTACT ME.

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IG: bornebackphotography