Archive for the ‘helpful information’ Category

I’m pleased to announce a new session offering: Simplicity Sessions!

Simplicity sessions are a 20 minute mini session, for up to 3 children only, or one child and 2 parents. Simplicity Sessions are not for newborns or babies who cannot yet sit unsupported.  Simplicity Sessions occur at the location of my choosing.

The rate for Simplicity Sessions is $250 and includes 5 full-resolution digital files with printing release.  The rest of your gallery (10 images) may be purchased for an additional $200.  A la carte print purchases are also available.

Interested?  Contact me to book your session!

It’s almost spring! And you know what that means? Next month, Noah’s school is going to hit me up for money for school portraits.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m totally willing to spend money on portraits. But my standards are pretty high. And what comes home from school… well, let’s just say we don’t usually buy anything beyond the class picture. Forced smiles, awkward posing, it’s just a disaster.

What comes home from Daniel’s preschool isn’t much better. They’re not as bad, but it’s still awkward posing, weird smiles, and a hint of “why am I being forced to sit here for a picture?”

This is why Emily Steele Photography School Portraiture was born.

With my School Portraiture, I bring the boutique portrait experience to your child’s school. Gone is the stiff posing, and the forced smiles. When I take school portraits, you kids laugh and have fun! Their personality comes through, and you end up with images you’ll actually want to display! Plus, you’ll see at least 3 poses for each child, and you can even get poses with siblings together!

Would you like better portraits coming home from your kids’ schools? Contact me for information on how to become a Parent Advocate and get better school portraits! You could also receive a free family session!

I am a firm believer in bribery.  Especially when it comes to portraits.  I cannot, no matter how I try, take portraits of my own kids without bribing them.  When I try, I get images like this:

Besides my photo equipment, there are 2 things I bring with me to every session – smarties and lollipops.  The smarties are perfect for those moments when little legs don’t want to be still, or little people don’t want to be near their siblings.  “If you sit right here, you’ll get a piece of candy!”  Works like a charm, and smarties make no mess!  At the end of every session, if mom and dad say it’s ok, the kids get lollipops.  They did a great job putting up with the silly lady with the camera, they deserve a reward!

In addition to what I bring, it’s always helpful if you bring along a few treats as well.  Got a toddler?  A cookie or a favorite piece of candy goes a long way.  A new toy can hold off a tantrum.  (“Wow, I just found a new toy car!  Would you like it?”)  A sticker might just calm a little one down for the few minutes it takes to get the family shot.   Just remember that anything messy should be given as a reward at the end (lollipops and chocolate turn little faces into a sticky mess) and there’s a good chance new toys will end up in the picture.

Older kids aren’t as likely to fall for the candy bribe.  Fortunately, they’re also a lot more cooperative when it comes to pictures.  Your 6 year old will probably be good as gold if she knows she’ll get some new Squinkies at the end.  Your 10 year old will probably put up with anything for the promise of a new DS game.  And an iTunes gift card will turn any surly teenager into a willing participant.  (Don’t worry – I’m still going to give them all a lollipop too!)  Use what you know about your child, and plan ahead so they have a prize to look forward to.

Most kids love their portrait sessions and have a great time, but a well timed bribe is always a good thing to have on hand.

Who wants candy?

Toddlers can be an unruly beast.  They want what they want, when they want it, and they rarely can be reasoned with.  This can make a portrait session a little bit of a challenge.  Here’s a few tips to get your toddler ready for their session.

First things first – clothing.  We all want our kids to look their best for their portraits.  Nobody wants a giant wall portrait of their kid in the clothes they wear everyday.  Especially if your kids are like mine and spend most days in mismatched clothes with spills down the front.  But while you’ll want your kids to look nice, they’ll want to be comfortable, so keep this in mind when choosing their outfits.  Avoid things that are itchy, tight, or don’t move well.  Use your judgement and your knowledge of your child to determine when to dress your child.  Some kids do best when they’re dressed at home, others can’t manage even a short car ride without a snack, and would do better to be dressed just before the session, after they’ve spilled everything all over their play clothes.

Toddlers can take a while to warm up to a new setting.  Arrive at the location a few minutes early so they have some time to run around and get used to being in the location, as well as getting all those post-car wigglies out.  Again, you know your kid best and you know how long it typically takes them to warm up, so plan accordingly.  Just remember that things can go wrong – traffic, missed turns, whatever – so give yourself a few extra minutes just to be sure.  If you’re running late, it’ll put stress on you and your child.

Bring some simple, non-messy snacks for your son or daughter.  Cheerios, puffs and the like are perfect.  Something they can eat quickly if they’re getting hungry, but that won’t make a mess or color their mouths.  A sippy of water is always a good thing to have on hand too.  I’ll bring candy for older kids (smarties) but be sure to bring something your toddler likes to eat.  It also never hurts to bring a favorite toy or two.  But remember – there’s a decent chance that toy will end up in some of the pictures.  (When he’s older, you’ll appreciate it.  He’s not going to be dragging that ratty old bear around forever.  When he’s a teenager, you’ll cherish the image of your two year old with his favorite bear.)

Most important, relax.  I promise, your kid is not the worst behaved I’ve ever seen.  Yours is not the only child who won’t sit still.  If you’re on edge, your toddler will be too.  So just relax, take a deep breath, and have fun.  Even if your son or daughter is running full tilt for the entire session, we will get some beautiful shots out of it.

There are almost as many ways to display your portraits as there are places to display them.  That’s what makes wall galleries so much fun!  At your ordering session, I have many ideas for wall displays that you can choose from.  Have a location in mind?  Tell me at your session, and I can mock up your favorite images in a display just for that location!  Here’s a few examples of wall displays:

Whatever the space, we can create a wall gallery to fit it.  And since having pictures on the wall boosts kids’ self confidence, it’s the perfect way to dress up your walls and help your kids!  Book a session now to get your wall gallery started!

Purchasing digital images is a great way to make sure you don’t miss anything from your session.  Plus, it’s great for archiving your images!  (Just make sure to make backup copies, as cds and other media do fail sometimes!)  But once you’ve got those images, it’s most important to make sure you do something with them!  No one can see the beautiful family portrait that’s sitting on your hard drive.

Easel Art is a great gift for any time of year!  Christmas, birthdays, mother’s day, father’s day or just anytime.  Think how great this would look on your desk at work!

Available from Tinyprints.com, starting at $22.99.

Ready to schedule your session so you can get your own digital images?  Contact me!

Newborn sessions can seem overwhelming for new parents.  You haven’t slept in days, you just got home from the hospital, and now you have to deal with portraits.  But honestly, they’re really relaxing!  By just taking a few simple steps before your session, you’ll have an easier time, and be able to rest!

The most important rule for a newborn session is to have spare clothes!  This is easy, since newborn sessions take place in your home.  But newborns are generally photographed nude, and they don’t come potty trained!  There will be messes.  Don’t worry – I’m prepared, and everything I bring is washable.  I’ll bring spare clothes for myself (and sometimes I need them!) but make sure you’ve got some handy for yourself.

The second thing you’ll want to remember is that we want your baby warm and sleepy for the session.  To assist with this, I recommend the following:

• Keep your newborn awake for an hour or two before the session (I know, this isn’t always possible – newborns will do what newborns will do, and keeping them awake isn’t always possible.  But do your best – it’ll pay off!)
• Turn the heat in your house up to 80° about 20 minutes before the session.  It’ll be horribly hot and uncomfortable for the grown-ups, but your baby’s been floating in a 98° sea for 9 months.  She likes it warm!
• Feed your baby just before the session.  If he’s a slow feeder, start about 10 minutes before I arrive, if he’s quick, just start once I get there.  Once I’ve got everything set up and ready to go, he’ll hopefully have a full belly and be zonked out.

I’ll always bring a variety of adorable newborn hats with me, but if you’ve got something special you want to use, have it handy and let me know at the beginning.  Heirlooms are also a great prop for newborn sessions – mom’s christening gown, grandma’s baby blanket, dad’s favorite bear, etc.  Professions or hobbies can add a fun element to your newborn photos too – baby in a fire helmet if dad is a fireman, or on a football if mom’s a Redskin’s fan.  Get creative, and feel free to bring up any ideas you might have.

For the most part, your newborn session will be all about your newborn!  Parents can sit back and relax!  Some like to watch the session, or even doze off nearby.  Don’t worry – if your baby gets hungry, needs a change, or just needs a break, I’ll let you know.  If you want any shots with parents or siblings, let me know ahead of time, otherwise I’ll assume that your newborn is the star.

Remember – newborns photograph best in the first 10 days of life.  My schedule fills up quickly, so it’s important to contact me while you’re still pregnant to ensure I can fit you in!  Your baby will change and grow so fast, so be sure to capture those first precious moments when they’re so new.