Maternity Portraits
Pregnancy is such a special time as a new life is nurtured within your own body. Let me help you celebrate this miracle with an intimate portrait honoring you and your baby.
We begin by exploring the options for the style of portraits you prefer; something more demure and romantic, sassy and contemporary, or a bit of both. We will also talk about your comfort level and if you prefer to be more covered or wish to include a few artistic body studies showing more of your shape and form. As a woman and mother who has been there, I understand how you may feel a bit unsure of yourself at this stage. My goal is to create works of art that capture your beauty and the joy, excitement, anticipation, and wonder of pregnancy. I use fabrics, props, poses, and lighting in an artistic manner that flatters your body. You will feel pampered and beautiful during a relaxing and fun session, in the comfortable atmosphere provided by my home studio. We will spend one to two hours creating a series of portraits of you alone, with your partner, and with your other children, to document your relationship and growing family. Don't be concerned about stretch marks, as they can be eliminated with our expert retouching.
Portrait sessions are usually scheduled during the 8th month of pregnancy. However don't delay in calling, life is busy and it is easy to put it off until it is too late. Don't settle for mediocrity for this one time event in your life. Even if you are only a few months pregnant, you are welcome to come in to view our samples and discuss your session. Whether this is your first child, second, or even fifth, your maternity portraits will be wonderful keepsakes for you and your family to cherish forever.
Newborn Portraits
It is such a joy to photograph the fleeting moments of a newborn; the sleeping baby, tiny fingers and toes, button nose, and tender bonding between parents and their new baby. It is essential to schedule this session within the first 10 days, ideally day 4-7, (when baby weighs 7-8 pounds), of your baby’s birth to achieve that fresh, curled up, newborn look that we all love.
I take great care to ensure the comfort and safety of your baby. Since baby is often naked or wearing only a diaper, the studio will be extra warm, so parents should dress lightly or in removable layers. I allow plenty of time for nursing, soothing and diaper changing. We spend up to three hours on a newborn session as they are unpredictable, often requiring more time and patience to photograph. My goal is to provide a pleasant experience and celebration of new life. Be sure to call while you are still pregnant so that we can schedule your session and get your due date on my calendar.
Baby and Children's Portraits
I specialize in capturing candid, natural expressions of your baby and children, allowing plenty of time for getting to know each other, play, feedings, and snacks. Morning sessions are often the best time for portraits of babies, when they are rested and happy. I allow up to one hour for babies and children, but some toddlers may be done in a half hour as their attention spans are short. We don't bribe or push children beyond their limits. We want this to be a fun experience for everyone.
Sessions are usually more productive with smaller numbers of people present, as little ones can get overwhelmed and overstimulated with several people trying to get them to smile. Please don't coach your children to smile, as this often results in a grimace of gritted teeth! Although posed portraits have their place, real moments of genuine expression show your child's personality and are captured by interaction, talking and playing. In addition, focusing on one child per session is usually most productive when possible. Children grow and change quickly, especially within the first two years. To fully document your childs portrait history, we suggest scheduling your sessions as follows: maternity, newborn (within first 10 days), 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 1 year, 1 1/2 years, 2 years and each year thereafter.
Family Portraits
Isn't it amazing to see how much the kids have changed when you get together with family at the holdiays? Or when you receive the yearly Christmas card portrait? With busy families, it's easy to overlook how quickly they are growing up. The years pass and before you know it they will be out on their own. A family portrait will preserve a moment with the ones you love and become an heirloom to be cherished for generations.
Choose a formal or casual look in the studio, outdoors in our portrait garden, or make a more personal statement with a location session at your home. Playing in the park, lounging at the beach, or hiking in the mountains are some other possibilites. Capture the story of your family with a portrait reflecting your personalities, interests, and lifestyle.
Family Reunions and special occasions such as a birthday or anniversary are great times to schedule a portrait session! We will help with advice to coordinate everyone for a great look. We photograph the entire group, and then each individual family. Viewing and selection of your images can be done within a day of your session before everyone goes back home.
Business Portraits, Actors Headshots, Model Portfolios
Professional quality executive, business and promotional portraits are an essential tool to help sell you and your product. It's really all about sales - whether a real estate agent appealing to potential clients, an actor hoping to catch the eye of the casting director, or a model showing off the latest fashions to buyers.
A quality headshot should convey a positive image imparting your demeanor, professionalism, and competence. Displaying your business portrait helps your client feel as if they know you, increasing their comfort level and confidence in you. A poorly executed portrait can negatively influence people in their decision to do business with you. A well done portrait is not an expense, it's an investment in your future!
We provide you with a professional image that portrays you at your best. Sessions are available in our studio or we can bring the studio to you for group and individual portraits at your location. Choose casual or formal looks with classic or contemporary backgrounds. We can also use your environment as the background for a more personalized, editorial look. For more variety, choose a both a formal business look, and lifestyle portraits to illustrate your specialty.
Our portrait enhancement gives you a more polished, professional look. Please note that acting headshots should have very minimal retouching as casting directors want to see the real you, with no surprises when meeting you in person.
Image selection is done immediately following your session in the studio. Alternately, view a web gallery of 3-5 images per person, posted within one week of the session, for your team members to make final selections. Final, retouched images as full resolution jpg will be available via Dropbox within one week of your selection. Usage rights granted to reproduce on your business materials. We also offer design and printing of business cards, postcards and flyers, saving you time and money.
Commercial Photography
When it comes to marketing, photographs are the best way to quickly communicate to your client. A company needs to show off their service, product, or facility with imagery that entices buyers. The photographs represent your company and they should convey the values your company represents - quality, value, professionalism, and credibility.
We can photograph small to medium products in our studio, or come to your location with a full array of studio lighting to photograph your facility. Lighting is an important factor for architectural interiors and exteriors and time of day is a consideration for impactful images that sell. Call us to arrange a consultation and quotation for your project.