Timing: Maternity and Infant Photography

Having a baby for the first time is such a special and monumental event in couples lives. Carrying a child is life changing and holding that little one for the first time is breathtaking.

Being able to photograph these changes and developments for my clients is something I take great joy in and I wanted to give you some advice for photographing expecting mothers and little ones.

Timing with Maternity Photography I like to schedule clients between 30-35 weeks pre term. Before that, they may be showing their bump but it may not be incredibly pronounced. And after 35 weeks they may be too pregnant to pose comfortably and entertain you in their home. That said, I have photographed a woman who was due the next day and she looked ready to run a triathlon.

Timing with Infant Photography Ideally you want to let the parents settle into a routine with the new baby before you photograph them all together. Basically, anytime in the first month is a good marker but I try to shoot for 1-3 weeks old.

Meet and Greet A Maternity Session can serve as a meet and greet in the same way that the engagement session can before the wedding. It is a chance for you to determine if you wish to work with the clients again and likewise, for them to determine if your style and personality fits with theirs.

Baby has Arrived Check in around their due date and do not be surprised if you do not hear from them right away. Although an infant does not do much, they also cannot do much for themselves and therefore their parents have to feed and change them every few hours at first-- which really takes some getting used to.Make Yourself Comfortable Be prepared to stay a while. When it comes to infants you are on their time. If you usually book 60-90 minute sessions, be prepared to be available for 120 min or more. The baby may need to eat and be changed, eat and be changed again in between your taking magical photos of the baby miraculously not crying. Have patience.

The Set Up Natural light is best and so using a bobby to prop up the baby and a blanket as a backdrop and base near a window may be all you need. Babies are not a huge fan of being changed so if you want a photo of the baby in nothing but their diaper, have mom change them and then feed them. After that the baby may be sleepy enough for you to photograph. A space heater can be a life saver. Make sure that the baby is kept warm in the environment that you are working in. This will assist in keeping a happy subject.

So have fun, be creative and plan your time accordingly.

Food Photography 101

I have seen you unconsciously pulling out your camera phone at dinner. Yeah you. You know who you are. I know this, because you also saw me from across the dining room. I too had my phone out, and poised to capture that decadent photo of my voluptuous cheesecake. I would say that I cannot stand you for flaunting off your flan or bathing in your bread pudding on Pinterest. But I stand with you, guilty as charged.

In the age of camera cell phones we are able to easily snap photos of just about anything we are doing, including broadcasting to the nation what we are about to eat for dinner. However, for the sake of this blog I will be showing off some delicious dishes from Cheesetique that I shot (with my Nikon) when creating the photography for their website.

Hot off the Press Be sure to photograph the food as soon as it has been prepared. You want to capture the steam off of the soup and the crisp arugula on the salad. Nothing says, “I’ve lost my appetite.” like wilted lettuce and soggy bread.

Natural Light I cannot say it enough that natural light is going to give you the best hue on your spread. Fluorescent and Tungsten bulbs are going to no doubt make your food look unappetizing. If you do not have access to natural light when you are shooting professionally. I highly recommend a mini portable studio like this one.

Dress it up!  Add in a spoon or fork. Use textures and fabrics or be creative with corks for example. Complement with color accents to tie the foreground into the background. Like the red in the cheesecake and the red on the wall. If the dish has basil add in a fresh basil leaf or sprinkle on some coarse salt for effect.

Have Culture And by that I mean read Culture. To research for my photography shoot at Cheesetique I studied up on what the other professionals were doing right. I loved the angles and accoutrements and began to get a feel for how to dress a dish up.Try a New Angle Shoot straight down on the spread. Prop up the plate. Shoot level with the table. Most of all have fun, and be sure to not let that food go to waste. After all, eating the beautiful dishes and enjoying them is the best part!

Introducing the Del Ray Wedding Venders

Earlier this year I met with Katie Wannen, fellow Small Business Owner and Wedding Planner at The Plannery and we decided to start a group for wedding vendors in Del Ray. Over the Summer we collaborated on the logistics of the group and then after some interest from quite a few folks, a website was born. It’s a one stop shop Del Ray For Your Wedding Day!

I am so excited to open up this group to all of you who may be looking to tie the knot and who may also have an interest in supporting predominately Small (Local) Businesses.

If you are looking for specialty wear for flower girls look no further than Darling Betty who offers handmade 1950’s fashions for little girls. For gifts, we feature truly life  who not only make their own skin care products but grow the ingredients and loofahs in their own backyard. It does not get much more local than that! And for invitations, the unique and truly talented duo at Sediment Press. See our other blog about their printing process.

If you are looking for local vendors look no further. If you are a local vender and you want to join the group please contact us here.

A special thanks to Katie, the brainchild of this group and the creator of our beautiful new Del Ray Wedding Vendors website. And to graphic designer Maud Bentley of Maud Bentley Design for the creation of the stellar DRWV logo.