Granger Newborn Baby and Family Photographer - A Look at BBP's 2016

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When I first decided to take this leap into documentary photography in 2016, it was one of the most terrifying and exciting things I have done (besides getting married and becoming a mom). I am not one to make myself feel vulnerable and this jump was the epitome of becoming vulnerable. But looking back, I am SO glad that I did it! This week, I have been cleaning up my hard drive (partially for sentimental reasons and to see growth but also because I managed to max out my Macbook's hard drive space) and I have come across so many amazing images. Not just of my own family, but the families of my clients!

It is so humbling to look back at this year's families and babies and know that these awesome people invited me into their lives and with a new type of photography to boot. To be a part of the stories of others is a really awesome experience; to see how they love each other and work together and spend their days. I genuinely enjoy looking back at these images and remembering each session and each family member. Knowing that these families will have images they can look back on together and remember all of the real, honest moments that they represent makes my heart happy, both as a photographer and a momma. I am so so excited to see what 2017 brings for BBP! 

Here's a look back at my favorite images of 2016. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do...

 

 

South Bend Documentary Family Photographer - Our Holidays!

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A belated Merry Christmas everyone! I hope that you all had a fantastic holiday with family and friends and that you made memories that you will cherish forever. 

This year, my daughter is just shy of two and I knew it was going to a pretty epic Christmas for her. She was able to grasp a basic understanding of Santa and many of the other magical elements of the holiday which had her all kinds of excited for the big day. She loved opening her gifts and getting to play with her family all weekend! Sadly though, we realized something: we are going to need a bigger house for all of her new stuff. Holy cow. It looks like someone ransacked Toys R' Us around her - and for a somewhat montessori inspired home, this was complicated to figure out what she got first. But what a blessed problem to have, right?

It was so fun seeing the kids' different personalities showing through in their favorite gifts. One tried out just about everything, one went straight to the cars and mine wandered around singing "Let it Go" with her new Elsa doll. She pretty much hit the jackpot of princesses and baby doll accessories and she was more than ok with that. Getting to document these moment in photo form was so much fun and I am also proud to say that I DID set aside the camera and just enjoyed the moments, too. Here's a sample of some of our fun family memories...

South Bend Indiana Family Documentary Photography - How to Take Your Own Great Holiday Photos

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Some of the biggest, most joyful, meaningful days of the year happen during the holidays. Filled with events, family and friends there are so many reasons to pull out your personal camera and make sure those moments live on forever. Just think of the laughs and smiles you will share with your kids years down the road when you look back at the fun memories you managed to capture!

But how do you take average, un-inspired images up to the next level and turn them into something beautiful AND priceless? How do you use the camera you have easy access to (say a phone) and use it to create high quality, artistic images? Here are a few tips and tricks to turning your blah holiday pictures into fun, appealing, priceless images...

1). Get the "safe shot"

I always encourage folks to take the "safe shot" first. Kids move FAST and sometimes, if you think too much, you miss the moment. It might not be the best quality shot, but at least you have the feels on your screen to relish down the road. 

Safe shot. 

The good shot. 

2) Do. Not. Say. "Cheese."

For the love of Christmas, do NOT tell your subjects to say "cheese!" Maybe this is just the documentary photographer coming out in me, but whoever decided to tell people to say "cheese" during a picture needs a quick kick to the shins (nothing like a little violence for the holiday spirit). In all seriousness though...the best pictures you will take are the ones in the moment. By telling your kids or the photo's subject to stop what they are doing, focus on you and the camera and say "cheese" completely deflates the scene. And if you're dealing with small children or (shudder) toddlers, we all know that the moment they realize you want them to smile...HAHAHAHA. Right. So fight that instinct to get them to focus on the camera and just get the amazing pictures that can come from being in the moment. You won't regret it.

And if you just can't fight it and you really want that look-and-smile picture, just tell them to smile. Young children are still learning phonetics and saying words, especially words that end in consonants, often forces their mouths and cheeks to do funny things and is counterproductive to getting them to smile. 

3) Angles, angles, angles!

When we take photos with our camera phones or point-and-shoots, we tend to take them right where we stand. We see a cute moment like our kids bonding with their cousins or hugging the family dog and we whip out that camera and snap the picture. That's fine! Like I mentioned above, get the safe shot first. But once you've secured that, get out of your comfort zone and think about your angles. The absolute best and most simple thing you can do to improve your photos are to get on the same level as your subject. If you're photographing kids, prepare to get your squat quota maxed out pretty quickly. Get down on their level and suddenly the picture feels much more real and in-the-moment.

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Another fun angle is from above. People tend to focus on faces when they take pictures but that's not always what tells the best story. Sometimes getting directly above your kiddos really changes the perspective and tells a stronger story.

4) Use your camera's focal point.

Have you ever had the perfect picture opportunity in front of a bright window and you take the photo and it's completely blown out? How frustrating! Cameras are designed to focus on the light and then balance the settings accordingly. Having a big, bright window is great but it tricks your camera into thinking that the entire room is also that bright which just isn't the case. So how do you we fix this? On most cameras and phones, its as simple as tapping the face or subject that you want to focus on. The camera then says, "Oh, you want to focus on this darker subject? Got it!" (Because, you know, cameras talk now). It still might not be the best picture you'll ever take, but it will salvage the shot.

5) Avoid mixed lighting.

It is easier said than done, but if you can, avoid "mixed lighting." This means, try not to take pictures where a window and lamp is influencing the light in the same photo. Most people assume that all light is good light but that is just wildly untrue. Here's the basic breakdown: window light is the best light. Its natural, pretty and neutral. 

See photos below for an example of mixed lighting. 

6) Consider your surroundings.

Holidays can be such a tough time to photograph even for a seasoned professional because there are usually 100 brightly colored decorations and 101 distractions. Both of these things make for some challenges but if you're aware of them, it is (slightly) easier to avoid them. Quickly consider your subject (say your child), squat down to their level, tap your focal point and then look past them. If they are sitting in front of 10 boxes and three cousins, try to move yourself left or right so that you can either hide or minimize the distractions. I'm all for embracing the clutter and chaos, after all, that's what documentary photography is all about. But there's a difference between adding to the story and just being distracting. 

Distracting red shelving and mixed lighting. 

Still a busy background but not directly behind the family AND it helps tell the story.

I hope that these quick and easy tips help you get some great holiday photos this weekend! But most importantly, don't forget to put down the phone and camera and just enjoy the moment. Not even the best picture can replace the memories you have of getting in on the holiday chaos.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE :) 

 

Granger Indiana Family Documentary Photographer - "Boy Mom" Sneak Peek

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When people see the beauty and value in the everyday, it turns a session into a memory making experience. When this "boy mom" (who also happens to be a close friend and amazing person), invited me into her home to capture a typical day with her boys, I was thrilled. Not only are her boys absolutely adorable but her house is just saturated with rich colors and lots of natural light. Basically, this session made my job easy! Can't wait to share the full gallery...

South Bend Newborn Fresh 48 Photography - Sneak Peek

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It has been WAY too long since my last Fresh 48 session! Every time I do one, I am reminded how much I love newborns in their first hours on this earth with their new families. It is such a humbling and blessed experience. 

Like what you see? CONTACT ME?

Michiana Documentary Photographer - Personal Project: The Windy City

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I like to concentrate my website and blog on client photos and let me tell you...that can be hard. You see, photography isn't just a "job" for me. It is a passion. I have firmly been converted into a believer in the priceless value of documenting both major and minor moments of my family's life. I know that in the years to come, I am going to love sitting down with Baby F and sharing these adventures with her that she's too young to remember. I will get all of the feels from these days and she will see how loved she was by so many people in her life!

This project is especially special to me because it includes the one, the only, grandma. None of us are guaranteed a tomorrow and being able to build memories with those around us is so, so invaluable. As a young girl, my mom and I would go to Chicago to look at the Christmas lights every year but as I got older and life happened, we stopped going. This year, I wanted to revive the tradition and throw in a third generation! And so, without further ado...I give you the first annual girl's only Chicago lights adventure:

Osceola Indiana Family Documentary Photographer - Reed Sister Session

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Being a girl mom always seems so sweet to me; maybe it's because I have a little girl or maybe its just the cute factor but no matter the reason, this session totally won me over! Normally, sessions include mom and dad so when Momma Reed decided to have a session primarily focused on her two daughters and her fur baby, I was nervous to make it work but excited for the challenge.

From the moment I walked through the door, Miss P was SO excited to be in front of the camera. I'm convinced this girl is going to be a star. She's got the spunk, the sweetness, the looks; she's pretty much the whole package. Where most kiddos like to ignore me or feel intimidated by the camera, Miss P had to be reminded NOT to say cheese! 

Miss H might be one of the most laid back, go-with-the-flow three year olds I've yet to meet. She was up for whatever big sister wanted to do and could make each situation fun and happy. Her idolization of her sister and her love for her fur baby was so apparent and heart warming it made me think MY Baby F might need a sister...(just kidding). But sereously, these girls were a total blast and between the dressing up, tea party and playing with babies, there was almost too much cute for one session! Thank you Reed girls for letting me into your sparkly little world. 

Goshen Birth, Newborn, and Fresh 48 Photographer - The How

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This is the last installment of my WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY and HOW of the Fresh 48. Describing the how is a little different than the other blog posts because rather than it being centered on what you, the parent, will get or choose, and focuses more on what I, the photographer, will do. So here we go...

HOW I conduct Fresh 48's

I want to start by saying that Fresh 48's and births are really where my photographer's heart lies. I adore family sessions and will always keep them in my session offerings, but there is just something special about a new life being brought into the world and the impact that has on the new parents and their family and friends. That being said, this pricelessness is what I try to convey in your images. 

For Fresh 48 newborn sessions, I send a questionnaire a couple of weeks prior to your due date where we will discuss all of the important elements of your session like what you want captured, important elements of your pregnancy, unique facts about your partner and family, etc. Again, this is YOUR special time as a bigger family and I want to capture exactly what you want to remember. This questionnaire allows me to come into the session well prepared to make this a unique and valuable session for your family.

I usually ask for a quick email or text when labor has started so I know that I will have a session within the next few days! Once I arrive upon your request, you can think of me as a fly on the wall who happens to have a camera (no distracting flash or awkward tripods). I will use the light that is available in the room (fingers crossed for at least one window) and capture the moments of bonding, family meetings, or whatever else was specified in the questionnaire responses. 

I want to get the details...

The newborn habits...

And the intense, undeniable feels...

Fresh 48 and newborn sessions should NOT be stressful or uncomfortable. This is your special family time that you can not get back and I want to give you the most calm, relaxed, real experience possible. Real over ideal.

Like what you see? CONTACT ME.

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 Photographer - Fresh 48: The "Why"

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All right! Back to the WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY and HOW of the Fresh 48 sessions. Today, in case you missed the title, I'm hitting the "why." I could honestly go on and on about this so please, forgive my rambling!

The best way I can think to emphasize the importance of a Fresh 48 session is to share my own story. I went into pregnancy and birth with a solid plan. I felt prepared (as much one can be) and couldn't wait for those precious first days with my newborn. I went in wanting minimal interventions and my midwives were all in; then life happened. Hello induction, 12 hours of active labor, emergency c-section and a recovery I wasn't expecting. Between being stuck in bed, learning how to nurse my baby and the utter fear/amazement of being a new parent, I hardly picked up my phone for a photo. Suddenly, it was months later and I was longing for some evidence of the beauty and craziness of those first couple of days! I don't even have one of me holding my daughter until after we were home. How sad is that???

The first couple of days with a new baby are chaotic and stressful, yet they're completely beautiful and irreplaceable. Having photos scheduled isn't usually at the top of the parents'-to-be's to-do list but IT SHOULD BE! Those images of you in your first moments as parents (or parents of 2, 3, 10 kids) are so inexplicably priceless. Not only do you want to remember every tiny detail of your beautiful new baby, but you want to remember yourself in this new role and in this new chapter of your life. And what about your other kids or family members? Bringing a new baby into their lives is a monumental moment, too. Your other kids are now big brothers and/or sisters. Your parents are now grandparents. A new baby means new titles for everyone and it only happens once. Fresh 48 sessions are YOUR chance to make sure that you, your family and the future adult your baby will be can cherish this incredible point in time. 

South Bend Indiana Documentary Lifestyle Photographer - Reed Sisters Sneak Peek

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When I booked this session and found out this was going to be a sisters only session, the "girl mom" in me swooned a little. There is nothing with a cute factor higher than sisters! I am so anxious to share this full gallery but until then, here's the sneak peek:

Michiana Newborn and Family Photographer - Black Friday Deals (and Beyond)

The only way that I take part in Black Friday shopping is online...and this year, I get to be on the selling end! That's right, I am having a Black Friday and Beyond sale! Here's the details:

If you BOOK a Novel or Series session OR any package in 2016 (even if the session will take place in 2017), you get a free short story session of your choice! 

So, for example, if you book a Birth Novel session, you can add on a short story newborn in-home session for free. How simple and cost effective is that?! Happy shopping :)

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