Snapshots with vera*lana photography

New Blog!

2009-03-20T08:30:00.003-04:00

Blogger has served me well for quite some time now, but I've decided to move up to a new Wordpress blog. My wonderful husband has worked hard to help me customize the blog, and I am excited to announce that future blog posts will be found at:

http://blog.veralana.com/

In addition to allowing me to post larger images, the new blog has the option of using the "sliding door" menu to search posts easily by topic, such as newborns, children, modeling, etc. It also have convenient links to Veralana's Facebook page and website. If you have subscribed to this blog, I will be contacting you in the next few days about how to move your subscription to the new blog. Or if you prefer to subscribe to the RSS feed, the option is already available on the menu of the new blog.

Thanks again to my loyal readers, and hope to see you over at the new blog!

Smiles for Mommy

2009-03-18T14:17:00.006-04:00

This morning we did a session celebrating the adoption of this sweet little girl. She is nearly 2 years old and talking up a storm! I was excited to get outside for my first outdoor session of the year, and she was such a sweet subject.

If you have also recently adopted a child and would like more information about the Celebrating Adoption program feel free to contact me, or check out the national site:
http://www.celebratingadoption.org.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-18T00:39:00.005-04:00

Just a little holiday fun outside after the rain cleared up. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Summer Fashion

2009-03-12T15:04:00.004-04:00

We have been having nice weather on and off, so we managed to do some outdoor modeling for thats*so*addie. This set is currently listed on eBay. I just love the colors.

Daddy's Serenade

2009-03-09T14:58:00.005-04:00

I had the pleasure of working with this family earlier this year for maternity portraits, and now again after the birth of their precious baby girl. We changed things up a little from my normal black background and tried out my new Damask wall and yummy knit hats.

Little Cinderella

2009-03-08T22:51:00.003-04:00

We have been waiting for the weather to warm up so we could head outside and do some photos of this gorgeous cotton princess dress by Ollie Girl. I love her calico princesses, and this is one of her special line of "pixie dust" dresses.

Gallery Wrap Special: 2 days only!

2009-03-05T10:54:00.003-05:00

In honor of my upcoming 33rd birthday, I am holding a 2-day 33% off sale. Order any image from a past session in gallery wrap canvas (11x14 or larger) and receive 33% off! If you have been mulling over one of the images from a past session and wanted to take that plunge, now is the time! You can also pre-purchase canvases for a future session. This offer is only good until 5pm on Friday March 6th. Drop me an email you are interested, and I will work with you to select your image.

Snowy Macros

2009-03-02T22:44:00.007-05:00

Today's snow inspired me to pull out my macro lens (which allows me to take extreme closeups/magnified images). Snow seems to make anything, even a dead leaf, look fresh and clean.

Mastering your DSLR

2009-02-23T10:32:00.003-05:00

I get a lot of inquiries about teaching moms how to better use their cameras. So I have been working on putting together some information to maybe offer a course on getting to know you camera. While I was looking for resources that are already available, I ran across this fabulous informational site created by Canon.

I think it's a great starting point for moms who have just purchased a DSLR (Canon or not), and want be able to use it more than just in automatic mode. Part 2: Using Camera Features for Better Photos is very informative, and even through the camera dial information is more specific to Canon cameras, can easily be applied to other brand cameras, since most have similar features under slightly difference names. Like the Mode dial for both Canon and Nikon use "P" from Program mode (automatically exposure, but you set the white balance, ISO, etc). But Canon uses "Av" for aperture priority and Nikon uses "A", Canon uses "Tv" for shutter priority and Nikon uses "S". The basics of photography like depth of field, shutter speed, apertures (F-stop), white balance, ISO, and matering will apply regardless of the type of camera you are using. The more you learn how to use the features of your camera, the better the results you will get. It's not the camera that makes the picture, it's the photographer.

Part 3: Choosing Lenses for Different Types of Photos is a good section for those who understand their DSLR, and are frustrated at the limitations of the lens the camera came with. When moving from a nice point and shoot digital camera to a DSLR, you give up the convenience of a wide zoom range in a lightweight package. To get a closeup of that bird at the zoo you'll need to invest in a telelphoto lens. And to get a picture of the whole group of kids at the birthday party in your tiny dining room, you need a wide angle lens. To more you come to understand, the more you realize that you could spend thousands of dollars outfitting your $600 camera!

I love Etsy!

2009-02-21T17:52:00.002-05:00

Since my girls were babies, I have enjoyed outfitting them in handmade and custom clothing. I have done commercial photography for many designers, and although the custom boutique communty used to be very strong on Ebay, it seems that Etsy has taken over as the "place to be" for custom clothing. I love shopping there for hand-knit caps that I use as photography props, as well as unique gifts. Just tought I would share some of my photography that I've run across on recently on Etsy (and the great designers we've worked with):

Boutique NRF NY

Ollie Girl!

SugarbelleChic

LullabyLamb hats

Blu Moon Design

Sweet Digital Package

2009-02-19T10:26:00.003-05:00

While the weather outside is unpredictable, my studio is cozy and the perfect place for your winter portraits. And to sweeten the offer, I have decided to offer a special winter digital package. For only $475, you receive a 1 hour portrait session in the studio, a CD with 20 full resolution digital images, and the rights to print them up to 8x10 in size. The offer only applies to children's and baby portrait sessions in the studio (outdoor, newborn, family, and Celebrating Adoption sessions do not qualify). This offer will end on March 31. Contact me to schedule your appointment, spaces are limited!

In Print!

2009-02-17T15:10:00.004-05:00

Last winter I took some photos for some authors of a children's book--for the "about the author" page. I was excited to find a copy of the book in the mail today. And even more surprised to find that my image is huge--the whole top half of the back cover.

The story was written and translated by a Russian-American grandfather, and edited by his granddaughter. It tells a traditional Russian fairy tale, adapted for American audiences. Check out the book on Amazon. I am excited to see it published, and I hope it does well for them!

2? I don't believe it...

2009-02-12T09:31:00.004-05:00

This little cutie was the very first newborn I photographed... and now she is two years old! I can't believe how quickly time flies. Here she is enjoying some peaceful outdoor time, without her big brothers ;)

Warm Winter Days

2009-02-09T20:27:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was one of those surprisingly warm winter days--the ones I always believe fool you into thinking spring is around the corner, but really are just the calm before the big blizzards. The kids were playing outside and the setting sun made for beautiful natural light, so I grabbed my camera and snagged a few closeups.

Baby Grand

2009-02-04T08:23:00.006-05:00

I am always excited when clients come with ideas on how they would like to incorporate something personal into their portraits. These new parents suggested we do their newborn session at their house to make use of their 1928 Steinway piano--how fun is that, a "baby" grand? The light was so nice in their home, I was able to do the entire session with pure natural light.

"Baby makes the belly go round"

2009-01-25T21:34:00.007-05:00

This fun couple were such good sports about waiting for me to return from my trip, and I am so glad that despite my crazy jet-lag, we were able to meet up and do their maternity session last week. I got to meet their new addition (the four-legged one) and I look forward to meeting their baby girl in a few weeks.

New Year's Baby

2009-01-25T21:03:00.004-05:00

My studio-mate's little one was born right after the turn of the new year, and I'm glad I got back in enough time to catch some newborn portraits of her with her mommy. Isn't she just the sweetest little thing?

India, Part 4: The Culture and History

2009-01-25T15:46:00.011-05:00

After spending time in the big city of Mumbai (India's New York), and then at the beach in Goa, we took a tour of the state of Karnataka aboard the new Golden Chariot luxury train. The historic stone cities were simply stunning, and the culture that we encountered along the way was always intriguing. Above you see the work animals painted and decorated in honor of the pongol festival. The day we arrived in Mysore, we were surprised to find pink and yellow cows all over the city.

The ruins of the city of Hampi were definitely one of the highlights of the tour. It is no wonder that it's a UNESCO World Heritage site. Not only the intracately carved temples and buildings, but the actual landscape it was built on make for a breathtaking view.

The sculpture carved into the granite in the cave temples has withstood hundred of years of weather and war.

Fishing boats--I loved the colors.

The temple complex in Hampi lit up just for our group. For my fellow Nikonians, this was ISO 3200 on the D300, handheld.

The government of Karnataka has a policy of getting schoolchildren out to visit their historic sites. We encountered many of them along our tour. These are at in Pattadakal.

This was one of the "menace monkeys" we encountered on the way to the cave temples. They will steal even your water bottles are you walk by.

The stone temple complexes not only served as cultural centers, but also stored literature in carvings on the exterior walls.

And finally, one of the few Asian elephants we encountered on our trip. This one was at the Bandipur National Park. We spent an evening at a safari resort there, and got to go on a short safari tour. We saw some elephants, peacocks, two different types of deer, an eagle and many kingfishers, monkeys, and warthogs. We looked hard for a tiger, but no luck.

India, Part 3: The Beaches

2009-01-23T13:20:00.006-05:00

We had the opportunity to spend a few days at the beach in the former Portuguese colony of Goa. The beach in Calangute was a lot of fun, with "shack" restaurants lining sand, and free, comfortable sunbeds that came with chair-side service. The water was just the perfect temperature for swimming and wasn't plagued with Jellyfish like the East Coast beaches can be.

India, Part 2: Around Town

2009-01-23T08:09:00.010-05:00

A colorful day at the Dhobi Ghat in Mumbai. It's like a big outdoor laundromat.

Children on the street looking for a few rupees.

And this is why Americans shouldn't be tempted to get the beautiful-looking colorful shaved ice treats at Chowpatty Beach (the ice delivery bike).

A paan vender. This legal, but additive, stuff always looks so enticing.

Another nice paan display at Chowpatty Beach in Mumbai.

Headed home from school.

Washing clothing and green channa on the canal.

I wish the tour guide's arm hadn't gotten in my way for this one--I just thought the contrast of traditional and modern was really interesting here. Note this is an English-language newspaper. This is in Mysore.

India, Part 1: the Wedding

2009-01-22T17:23:00.005-05:00

I'm back from my 3 weeks in India, and am excited to start sharing some images from my trip. We were enticed to travel in order to attend a close friends' wedding. I had played a role in introducing the bride and groom, and we especially wanted to be there for the wedding, despite the fact that it was halfway around the world.

And a Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T00:20:00.003-05:00

We did our last modeling shoot of the year today. This is the newest "calico princess" by Ollie Girl!--Mulan. I leave tomorrow for India. Check back mid-January for pictures from the trip. I will have pictures from the wedding, as well as from our safari and other adventures. Happy new year!

Merry Christmas to all!

2008-12-23T15:22:00.002-05:00

Veralana Photography will be closed from December 24-28. My family and I wish you and yours a warm and joyful holiday.

Last Session of the Year

2008-12-22T15:19:00.003-05:00

I usually wouldn't take sessions this late in the holiday season, but when these adult siblings contacted me and asked for some portraits for their parents, I made a special exception for them. And despite the freezing temperatures and brisk wind, we had a good time trying out some portrait ideas. I hope their parents enjoy their very special gifts this Christmas!

Future Ballplayer

2008-12-21T21:52:00.005-05:00

I got to work with this family earlier in the fall for some maternity portraits, and I was so excited to meet the him when he finally decided to make his arrival. Here is their little holiday present in mom's knit cap, and with dad's baseball gear.

We have a winner!

2008-12-20T22:55:00.003-05:00

I'm happy to announce that Picture #1, by young artist Emily, is the winner of my first ever blog contest. Here is the winning image:

She won a free photo session, and maybe we can capture her with a balloon and lollipop, just like the portrait in her imagination!

Time to Vote!

2008-12-11T21:53:00.012-05:00

The entries are in and it's time to vote for your favorite! Please only one vote per person. Feel free to send over as many of your friends and family to vote as you would like. The theme of the contest is to draw a picture of yourself having your portrait taken. I'm so excited to have these fun pictures to share! The poll will be open until 11:59pm December 18th. And the winner will receive a free portrait session and an 8x10 print of themselves holding their winning entry.

Entry #1: Emily, age 5

Entry #2: Abby, age 4

Entry #3: Ashleigh, age 5

Entry #4: Mimi, age 5

Entry #5: Evelyn, age 5
Entry #6: Taylor, age 5

Something a little different

2008-12-09T21:58:00.004-05:00

I was excited when I was asked to do some adult headshots/portraits. And working with such a great subject made it even more fun. Here's just a couple from our shoot.

Contest... last day to enter!

2008-12-07T08:53:00.004-05:00

Happy snow day! Well, at least there is a little snow on the ground :) I thought it was a good time to share A's little snowman artwork. I know I love seeing what comes from her imagination. And I wanted to post a reminder that this is your last chance to enter your child's artwork in my first contest! I will be posting the entries early next week for voting. Here is the information again about the contest:

Ask your child (ages 3-6) to draw you a picture of themselves having their portrait taken. The image should be drawn with crayon, paint or marker on white paper. Scan in the image and send it to me by email (emily @ veralana.com) with the subject "Blog Contest". If more than 10 entries are received, 10 finalists will be selected. The finalists' entries will be posted on the blog, and voting will be conducted by a public poll. The winner of the poll will win a portrait session and an 8x10 of the winning artist holding his or her artwork.

The small print: Contest is open to residents of the DC area. Entries must be submitted by a parent, but drawn by a child age 3-6. Scanned images should be 600 pixels on the large side. Please keep the original artwork. Prize is an outdoor or studio session at the photographer's location of choice for the winning artist in the month of February or March 2009. Entries must be submitted November 19-December 7. Voting will be via poll on my blog (open to the public, one vote per person). I reserve the right to cancel the contest at any time, or disqualify entries if I believe any entries are not made in good faith or I suspect voting irregularities. After all, this contest is supposed to be fun! Winner will be posted on the blog and notified by email. Free session must be scheduled in February or March, and will expire if not used by the end of March 2009.

Blowing Kisses

2008-12-05T22:29:00.007-05:00

My session this morning with this sweet little 2-year-old was a great way to end off the season of holiday portraits. She was full of giggles, kisses, and smiles for her mommy. I'm looking forward to seeing her again at their newborn session, when she will be the big sister.

Christmas Rock!

2008-12-01T23:06:00.003-05:00

These little guys love to play music together, so mom had the idea that we could entice them into the some photo with a little performance. So here they are in action, the Brothers Klaus!

Contest Deadline Extended

2008-12-01T11:29:00.002-05:00

If you're anything like me, the holiday weekend went by in a flash! I have decided to extend the kids' contest by one more week to give you more time to get those entries in. Here's the original post with the details. Can't wait to see the artwork!! The new deadline for entries is December 7th.

Happy 50th Anniversary!

2008-11-30T13:43:00.007-05:00

In continuation of my weekend of family portraits, this family was celebrating the couple of honor's 50th wedding anniversary. What better way to celebrate than with a portrait of the children, their spouses and the grandchildren.

Family Day

2008-11-29T23:08:00.005-05:00

I have been very lucky to work with a lot of repeat clients this holiday season, and this little guy was one of my maternity/newborn clients earlier in the year. Now he brought back his 3 sisters, his parents, 10 cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents for a group portrait.

I am thankful for....

2008-11-27T23:13:00.007-05:00

My friends and family. This morning I was behind the camera, taking family and newborn portraits for some of my closest friends. I normally would have taken the day off, but this little angel was kind enough to come right before my visit, so I could meet her and take some fun natural light newborn portraits. Congratulations, Jason! It's so great to see you as a dad.

Mini-Session: Sisters

2008-11-24T17:38:00.007-05:00

I was really excited to photograph these little cuties, because I have known them for a long time, and I know they are sweethearts. Even though we were aiming for holiday card photos, I had to take a few fun individual photos as well, since they were having so much fun with the props in the studio. It's like a kids' wonderland in there :)

Mini-Session: In the Studio

2008-11-22T22:57:00.005-05:00

These little guys were some of my first customers, and I loved seeing them again for their holiday card portraits this year. I thought this image of the two of them was just so perfect, I had to show it as a gallery wrap. You would never guess how much fun and games we had while getting them to sit still for a few pictures. They were such fun little kids, and they were just full of hugs and kisses for each other.

Mini-Session: Natural Light

2008-11-22T22:50:00.007-05:00

Brrr. We didn't realize when we scheduled this outdoor holiday card mini-session that despite the fact that the average temperature this year is 55 degrees, that it would feel like it was 20 degrees today! So we improvised, doing some quick outdoor shots and then some natural light inside. This little gal is such an adorable little girl, and she was one of the newborns I photographed last summer. I couldn't believe how much she had grown in just a few months!

Caught in a Yawn

2008-11-21T21:43:00.005-05:00

I was so excited to meet this little angel. Her mommy and daddy came last month for maternity portraits, and today I got to meet her. She has the most gorgeous full head of shiny black hair, and she is only 10 days old!

Contest!!

2008-11-19T14:52:00.007-05:00

I got this idea after we spent a couple minutes scanning in my daughter's artwork to share. I'm going to have my first-ever blog contest!

Here is the scoop:

Ask your child (ages 3-6) to draw you a picture of themselves having their portrait taken. The image should be drawn with crayon, paint or marker on white paper. Scan in the image and send it to me by email (emily @ veralana.com) with the subject "Blog Contest". If more than 10 entries are received, 10 finalists will be selected. The finalists' entries will be posted on the blog, and voting will be conducted by a public poll. The winner of the poll will win a portrait session and an 8x10 of the winning artist holding his or her artwork.

The small print: Contest is open to residents of the DC area. Entries must be submitted by a parent, but drawn by a child age 3-6. Scanned images should be 600 pixels on the large side. Please keep the original artwork. Prize is an outdoor or studio session at the photographer's location of choice for the winning artist in the month of February or March 2009. Entries must be submitted November 19-30. Voting will be via poll on my blog (open to the public, one vote per person). I reserve the right to cancel the contest at any time, or disqualify entries if I believe any entries are not made in good faith or I suspect voting irregularities. After all, this contest is supposed to be fun! Winner will be posted on the blog and notified by email. Free session must be scheduled in February or March, and will expire if not used by the end of March 2009.

In the Leaves

2008-11-18T00:30:00.012-05:00

These little guys were just the happiest kids. And Dad sure could bring out the giggles! I had a great time hanging out with them this morning and catching a little bit of sunshine before the dark clouds rolled in.

And baby makes 6

2008-11-16T16:57:00.007-05:00

You may recognize this little baby girl from one of my September newborn sessions. Today her older big brother and sister came home from their schools to visit and get a family portrait with all 4 of the kids. Little brother was full of energy, but we did manage to pin him down for a few group shots, and luckily we managed to get one with everyone looking in the right direction!

Early Valentines

2008-11-15T22:59:00.005-05:00

The girls did some early Valentines modeling for CarlaC and her youcanmakethis.com ebooks. The girls had a great time with all of the hearts--especially the edible cookie bouquet--and I was excited that we got our V-day card photo already!

Little Model

2008-11-14T22:54:00.005-05:00

I got the opportunity to work with a fellow youcanmakethis.com ebook author this morning. She had asked if she could bring her little model in and do some product shots for her books. What a cutie he is! Look for our photos on the You Can Make This site soon!

Scavenger Hunt

2008-11-12T23:29:00.007-05:00

"soda can"

One of my photography groups had a photo scavenger hunt this afternoon, and with the help of my tiny assistants (aka my kids ;) ) I won a prize for being one of the first to get all of the items! I thought I would share a few of the images from the contest.

"wheel"

"my phone"

"something brand new"

Sweet Blue Eyes

2008-11-12T00:04:00.006-05:00

I had the honor of doing another Celebrating Adoption session this morning. This sweet little girl and her family were such great sports, braving the chilly weather at the botanical gardens. She loved her mommy so much that she didn't want to spend even a moment apart, but with some hard work on the part of her brothers we managed to convince her that some photos alone weren't so bad.

Waiting for Baby Boy

2008-11-09T19:39:00.007-05:00

What a sweet couple, and I had such a great time because they were so easy to work with and totally game for trying all of my creative ideas. I just love maternity sessions in the new studio, and the fun part about maternity sessions is that I get to meet the parents-to-be before their baby comes and then see them again in just a couple of weeks when the baby arrives.

Got it!

2008-11-08T19:37:00.004-05:00

I just love when I come out of a session, and I pull up the images and find "the one". You know--the one image that represents what we all wanted from the session. Sometimes it's the great closeup of a child's eyes for a session with one child, or a beautifully artistic maternity shot. Other times it's a newborn shot that shows the bond between parent and child, or an image from an adoption session that represents the pure happiness of the parent to have this child in their life. And today it was the right sibling shot. You know, one where they both look engaged, happy, and like they really love each other. This little guy was only 7 months old, and he just adores his sister.

Family in Red

2008-11-03T17:21:00.004-05:00

This little cutie in the sweater vest made me work hard for his grins, but I'd say it's totally worth it! We had discussions about meat-eating vs. plant-eating dinosaurs, and he set me straight on a number of facts I was a little rusty on ;)

Fall Weather

2008-11-02T19:52:00.006-05:00

We lucked out with a gorgeous day yesterday--it was one of those gorgeous fall days that you can't resist spending time outside. So after a morning in the studio, I was excited to meet this family outdoors and enjoy some of the fun fall color.

Candy-striped Cutie

2008-11-02T16:35:00.008-05:00

Just a quick shot I caught while we were waiting for her family to finish getting ready for their session this weekend. I love how some of my favorite images from the session can be "happy accidents."

New Addition

2008-11-01T22:59:00.005-04:00

Well you may not recognize this little cutie, but he was on the blog a couple of weeks ago while he was in his mommy's belly. What a doll he is, and look at his sweet little smile :)

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T16:47:00.003-04:00

We're so lucky to have such a beautiful day for trick-or-treating. This morning my girls had a fun Halloween parade at their preschool, and it was so nice to get immersed in the fun of the day. This afternoon we made some fun treats to bring to our pre-trick-or-treating party. We love our rice crispy treats! I'm excited to have a fun evening taking my little fairies trick-or-treating before a busy weekend of sessions.

Beautiful Mama-to-be

2008-10-27T20:40:00.006-04:00

I was so lucky to work with this glowing mom-to-be this morning. She was such a natural model, and despite being very close to her due date, she was so comfortable with her maternity belly. I'm so glad we were able to incorporate some of her Peruvian culture in the images as well.

Rainy Day

2008-10-25T16:29:00.007-04:00

While we had thought about having an outdoor session, the weather didn't have the same idea, so we took this family's session indoors. Big sis loved the red pettiskirt, and little brother was ready to start crawling all over the floor. Thanks, guys, for braving the yucky weather and the drive down from Baltimore!

Around Town

2008-10-24T23:59:00.001-04:00

Hey fellow Vienna-ites! Any guesses as to where I took this one?

Celebrating Adoption: 2 brothers and a sister

2008-10-20T14:48:00.007-04:00

As I meet more and more families who have grown through adoption, I just love hearing their stories. These brave parents brought home 3 children under the age of 5 at the same time! But what sweet little ones they are. Big sis was a perfect model for me. I could fill the post with just great images of her! And the boys--not twins, but one year apart in age, were had a blast playing in the garden.

I am a participating photographer in the Celebrating Adoption program--to find more information about Celebrating Adoption, check out our website: http://www.celebratingadoption.org

One and Three

2008-10-19T17:58:00.006-04:00

I first spoke with this family back in July, and I have been looking forward to their session ever since. The big sister gave me a run for my money, but little did she know that I have my own 3-year-old girl, so I had some tricks up my sleeve. And her little brother was just as sweet as can be. And how cute are his little short-alls?

Waiting to be Picked

2008-10-15T22:10:00.008-04:00

I just loved the piles of produce at the pumpkin patch last weekend. I just imagined them all waiting to be picked, a little like the elementary school gym class. It is a little reassuring to see such beautiful piles of plenty in light of the intimidating news about the economy these days.

Cousins

2008-10-11T01:57:00.006-04:00

I was so excited to be able to do one year portraits for this little guy--I have photographed him since his mom came in for maternity portraits last summer. And now he's walking! Today he, his cutie big sis, and his sweet cousin joined me for a fun morning at the Town Green.

Not-so-little bee

2008-10-08T00:03:00.003-04:00

Well, in real life he was normal size, but here he is in great detail. My girls saw the image on my computer and were scared of the "giant bee"! (Click to see him in his full glory)

Down by the Mill

2008-10-06T08:52:00.010-04:00

I spent the morning playing with this little guy and his fun mom and day yesterday. He is such a charmer, and his favorite little football was never far from sight in the photos. Here are a few previews from our session.

Bellies!

2008-10-04T22:47:00.007-04:00

I got to work with two beautiful expectant moms this morning on maternity portraits. How fun are these? Amanda and Kim, I hope you will enjoy these memories of the last few days of your pregnancies, and I can't wait to meet your little ones!

Studio Baby

2008-10-03T20:40:00.005-04:00

This little guy had the honor of being my first model in the new studio. And what an adorable little guy he is! And it looks like he's a big fan of his mommy :)

Portraits and your child: the best ages

2008-10-01T16:15:00.012-04:00

When we brought home our older daughter, my husband and I made a commitment to get portraits taken of her every month to document her growth. We went to the mall and got our free session and free 8x10 and made sure we had each month documented, and on good months, we bought some extra photos to share with relatives.

From my own experiences--first as a parent, and later as a photographer--I came to learn that there were better ages to get portraits done, and that they don't always coincide with the times that you're most likely to want portraits (like their first birthday). And when you're investing in custom portraiture, it's not like my first year of monthly photos from the mall--you want to be able to have a nice collection of photos from your session, and so you don't do them as frequently and you want to try to do them when your child is in a better stage for portraits.

So I have put together some recommendations for good stages to capture in custom portraiture.

Maternity/Newborn

The best time to start your child's portrait collection is before he or she is born. Artful maternity portraits are not only a wonderful memory of this special time in your life, but also are a great addition to the baby's scrapbook or baby book.

Newborn portraits are best in the child's first two weeks. During this period the baby is still very sleepy, and is easy to pose, and most likely to be very cooperative during the session. The images that you get in this newborn session are likely to be of a sleepy baby. Sometimes you can get little angelic sleepy smiles, or wide eyes, but these type of portraits are meant to serve as a reminder of just how tiny your newborn was. Bare skin is best for these type of portraits, so no need to plan the wardrobe.

Infants

In the first year, the best times to come for baby portraits are at 4 months, 7 months, and 11 months. At 4 months, babies are very responsive to their parents, and will offer genuine smiles and fun expressions. They can be propped up in a basket, or lay on their stomach in a "tummy time" position. Fun hats work well at this age, and be sure that whatever you dress the baby in doesn't bunch up too much around the neck.

7-month-olds are generally sitting on their own and very happy subjects. Before they start crawling, they are very easy to work with, and you can get some of the best baby portraits at this age. It's still young enough to do bare skin portraits, especially if you would like to capture the baby rolls.

I usually recommend doing a baby's first birthday portraits a little early, like around 11 months, so you can catch them when they're standing but not yet walking. This is a great age to put an adorable dress on a baby girls, since she will be standing for the first time in her portraits.

Toddlers

Walkers up to around age 2 1/2 are a tough group to photograph. They can be the cutest subjects in portraits, but they always have their own agenda. For this age, I recommend trying outdoor sessions, where the child can feel more comfortable and I can capture some of the child's real personality.

Preschoolers/Younger Elementary Students

Preschoolers and children in the early elementary ages are among the easiest to work with in terms of photo sessions. The most important thing I find in this age group is for the parent to be confident and positive about the session, and then it rubs off on the child. They also do well in outdoor sessions, and outdoor portraits are a nice alternative to the school pictures that they get every year.

Teens

Since most school-age children get school photos taken each year, custom portraiture isn't as popular in this age group. However, it's nice to do sessions with teenagers where you can get siblings together and family portraits before the children go off to college.

For seniors, although most schools have an official photographer for yearbook shots, many choose to get more natural or unique senior portraits with a custom photographer. These sessions can be lots of fun, and really bring out the true personality of the teenager much more than a quick studio session.

I think the most important thing is just to make sure that when you look back at your child's childhood, that you feel like you're been able to capture the memories that you want to remember. I hope my guide will be a little helpful in helping you make that happen :)

Warty Pumpkin

2008-09-28T21:04:00.003-04:00

I can't believe October is right around the corner! We noticed the unique warty pumpkins over at our neighborhood hardware store, Stalcup's, a couple week ago, and the girls have been talking about them ever since. Today when we told them they could pick out a warty pumpkin to help decorate our front stoop, they were thrilled. Nothing like a silly pumpkin to brighten up an on-and-off rainy day.

And one last day at PBK

2008-09-27T11:06:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was my last day taking portraits at the mall--what a whirlwind! Since I normally do custom portraiture, my sessions are more relaxed and I take about 1-2 hours outside, in homes or in my studio to get to know the family and the children. These sessions were condensed into 15 minutes, and only on a plain white background, so a little more of a challenge to get the little guys to show their true spirit. But as you can see, even with those constraints, I think we managed to capture some great smiles, fun expressions, and sibling love. I am really excited about all the great families I got to meet, and I wanted to give a big thank you to the staff at the store who were so accommodating and welcoming to me!

More Pottery Barn Kids

2008-09-25T17:51:00.004-04:00

Another day, and another sweet family at the Pottery Barn Kids store today. I think it's dangerous to spend too much time doing sessions at that store, since I'm tempted to go shopping there between sessions. Their stuff is just too cute, especially the Halloween costumes they have in stock right now.

Pottery Barn Kids!

2008-09-24T14:40:00.013-04:00

I spent the day doing portrait mini-sessions for the local Pottery Barn Kids store, and will be going back for 2 more days this week. It was so much fun playing with these little guys and having the whole PBK store to borrow props for our portraits. Here are some sneak peaks for my clients today.

Funky Witch

2008-09-23T23:58:00.005-04:00

What could be more fun to model than this totally funky witch costume? This fabulous costume is by SugarbelleChic, and it comes with everything from the hair extensions to the tie-dyed tights. As she walked down the street a neighbor asked if it was a Halloween costume. She answered "I'm not really a witch, just a little girl dressed like a witch". And then processed to tell me that the neighbor thought she was a real witch :)

Big News... and a New Look!

2008-09-21T23:14:00.003-04:00

I'm very excited to announce the opening of my new studio! The studio is located in downtown Vienna, and will be open by appointment only. I will be offering sessions at the studio starting next week, and I hope to hold a grand opening event in the winter to show off the facility.

And in honor of my new studio, I have a new, fresh look. My new logo is now featured on the website.

And just a quick update about the upcoming holiday season. My weekend sessions are almost completely booked up for October and November. Weekday sessions are still available, but are also filling up.

On November 15 I am offering a series of mini-sessions for "just cards" packages. These will be short sessions for families who don't need a full session and just are looking for a good family portrait for the holiday cards. The mini-sessions cost $250 and include the session fee, 50 custom holiday cards, one 11x14 print and 2 5x7 prints. I have 5 spots open on that day.

If you are interested in a full portrait session, or one of the mini-sessions, let me know so I can be sure to get you on the calendar!

"There were three good fairies"

2008-09-19T21:11:00.005-04:00

Somehow this image reminded me of the fairies in Sleeping Beauty. We recruited another little cutie to join us for some costume modeling this week, and what's more fun than playing around in the botanical gardens in fairy costumes?

Proud Big Brother

2008-09-16T20:19:00.005-04:00

I got to work with a lovely family today--I can remember the stage that they're in right now, with a toddler and a newborn. Lots of work, but great to have siblings so close together so they can grow up as best friends. Big brother was proud to show off his little sis to me. What a little doll! I thought she looked a little like a pink sweet pea in this one :)

Harvest Moon

2008-09-15T23:19:00.004-04:00

In honor of tonight's harvest moon, I wanted to share some of our recent commercial work. Here is a fabulous harvest set and hand-painted purse by Painted Butterfly Studio.

Cozy Sheepskin

2008-09-12T23:55:00.004-04:00

What better prop for modeling pjs than a cozy little sheepskin. Here are the girls in their almost-finished-but-still-empty old bedroom. I'm very excited that over 3 months after the tree fell on our house we'll soon be back to normal!

A Day on the Bay

2008-09-09T20:10:00.008-04:00

We got to take a day-long boat trip on the Chesapeake last weekend, and the boat we were riding on was aptly named "SnapShot". We rode across the bay, stopped at a little beach, and then came back into the sunset. What a great way to spend a beautiful afternoon. And since it was the day after the tropical storm came through, everything was extraordinarily calm on the seas.

Thomas Point Lighthouse (retro postcard-style)

Silhouettes on the beach.

Sailboat in the glow of the sunset.

Sunset over the Bay.

I'm published!

2008-09-07T21:49:00.004-04:00

I recently submitted an article to the local parenting resource site, DC Metro Mommy, about custom photography, and I'm excited to share that it is featured on the front page! The article is about selecting and working with a photographer for your child's or family's portraits. Check it out here. And my little V is also featured as the cutie of the month!

A different kind of picture

2008-09-06T10:43:00.006-04:00

My 4-year-old has been more interested recently in drawing people, and as a parent, I'm always interested in seeing the "characters" that come out of her brain. She has one that she's created called "Angel Dangel" (yep, she's really into rhyming). She has created an Angel Dangel song, and now she has drawn a picture for me of what she looks like. She's a fairy with a green clover wand and a purple crown.

The other character below is an astronaut.

The birds and the bees and the...um... cicadas

2008-09-01T22:04:00.001-04:00

5-day-old smiles

2008-08-31T16:39:00.007-04:00

I was really surprised that we caught so many newborn smiles out of this little guy. I won't go into why he was so smiley, but let's just say, his dad was happy to get a diaper back on him when we were done ;) He was just a tiny peanut, at 5 days old.

Aprons for the Holidays

2008-08-29T16:02:00.005-04:00

These cute apron sets were made by Punky Fae Designs for the Petite Cover Girls holiday launch. Gotta get one for your little girl? Here's a link to her aprons on Etsy, or look for these and the rest of the cool clothes in our modeling group's launch on eBay.

Featured Album

2008-08-28T13:19:00.004-04:00

I'm excited to share that my princess album was chosen as the first feature on Deco Album's blog. Check it out here. Deco Album is one of the vendors I use to print my coffee table books for clients. For more information about getting a book printed from your session feel free to contact me!

Three Weeks

2008-08-24T20:56:00.004-04:00

This sweet little man was so tiny that at three weeks old, he was still too small for most of his clothes. He struggled to stay awake for a few images, but for much of the session we were able to catch him in that light sleep where infants flash those sweet sleepy smiles.

Adorable Sisters

2008-08-23T13:38:00.006-04:00

I am truly not a morning person, but these little gals were so sweet and easy to work that I was so excited to be up early and photographing them. It was hard to believe that the younger sister had only been home for less than a year. I am so happy they found me through the Celebrating Adoption organization and asked me to help capture their growing family's memories.

Smithsonian's Butterflies

2008-08-20T23:03:00.008-04:00

We visited the Smithsonian's Butterfly exhibit this week. Tuesday is free admission day, so we headed in town and waited for the time-controlled admission tickets. We arrived around 11:30 am and got a 2pm slot, so we explored the related insect exhibit (we're talking live millipedes the size of a large snake!) and took a little lunch break at the National Portrait Gallery before heading back to see the butterflies. It was a wonderful indoor exhibit, packed full of butterflies. I had one riding on me for a while (here's a pic of him on my shorts). And another example of how friendly these guys were.

My Own

2008-08-18T12:35:00.003-04:00

Every once in a while I have to post one of my own cuties. This was just a snapshot of her sitting on the stairs, but I loved the cute face she's making.

Garage Light

2008-08-17T22:23:00.006-04:00

I always love being able to get together with other photographers and photograph their kids for them. These were actually impromptu shots taken right in the entrance to their open garage. I just loved the look of the sunlight on their faces and how the contrast of the dark garage darkens out the background.

Winter Already?

2008-08-16T00:12:00.009-04:00

We're into winter modeling season already. It's hard to conjure up the feeling of cold weather in August, but we try our best! Here are some catalog-style images we did for the clothing designer Painted Butterfly Studio, and accessory designer Birdsong Bows. We made some fun little mini-marshmallow skewers since the fabric on the sets had little marshmallow heads on them.

Brothers by the Woods

2008-08-13T23:27:00.005-04:00

I did a mini-session for my great friend Allison and last weekend so she would have an image for her "we've moved" cards. We not only got "the one", we also got a few cute bonus images, like the peek-a-boo shot.

Critters

2008-08-11T23:00:00.008-04:00

I spent a little time last week just looking for the some of the littlest visitors to my garden. The song lyrics "take this broken wing and learn to fly again" kept popping into my head with that butterfly. The fuzzy bee stuck around for quite some time and was an easy subject. Unlike many of his other buddy bees.

I loved this tiny fly. He was so small (about half the width of my pinky nail) I had to get extremely close just even with the macro lens.

And I think this was your ordinary yellow jacket, just a strange angle that shows off his antennae.

Welcome Baby M!

2008-08-05T00:21:00.008-04:00

What a sweet little gal! She was such a cooperative subject, and I won't hold it against her that she wet my blanket ;) We tried a combination of studio and natural light for this session. I couldn't resist using their gorgeous living room for the setting of a few images.

Who's the Boss?

2008-08-01T12:32:00.006-04:00

Who's the boss among these siblings? Well little sis, of course! I couldn't have asked for more cooperative kids for this early morning session. I think there's a future in modeling for these guys!

Little Pup

2008-07-29T09:23:00.004-04:00

This was a different kind of newborn for me--the furry kind! This little guy is only 8 weeks old and around 3 lbs. He is a long-haired Dachshund pup. What a sweet and snugly guy!

Two Little Redheads

2008-07-28T14:46:00.007-04:00

I have known these little guys since they were born, and the little boy was one of my first newborn clients last year. Now look how big (and adorable) he is! They had fun checking out a real life red caboose this morning. And despite their best efforts otherwise, we did manage to grab some images of them together :)

Celebrating Adoption Slideshow

2008-07-24T14:43:00.004-04:00

This wonderful family has many friends they have made through their adoption process, and asked if we could share their session slideshow here on the blog so that others can see. They just shared such warmth and happiness that was a joy to photograph. Click on the slideshow image to take a peek at their session.

A Prayer for Baby Angel

2008-07-21T22:26:00.002-04:00

I am spending this week teaching at my childrens' Vacation Bible School. Today the craft was a prayer pot where the kids decorated the pot and filled it with popcicle sticks labeled with names of people to pray for. I asked one of the 7-year-olds in my class about his sticks, and he told me: Mom, Pop, God, and Angel. He explained that Angel was his baby cousin who died at birth, and that his aunt named her Angel because she was in heaven.

I was so touched that this little guy and his prayer for his cousin, it stuck in my head for the rest of the day. He was so little to grasp such a situation, and clearly it stuck in his mind and affected him. It made me think of the work that my fellow photographers do through the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep program. They come to the hospital at the family's request to photograph the precious moments they have with their child, and provide them with lasting memories of their own angel.

So tonight, no photos, but I offer a little prayer for Baby Angel. And for all of the other little angels and their families.

Announcing my "Christmas in July" Special

2008-07-20T16:10:00.004-04:00

I know that many of my clients have been eagerly anticipating the announcement of my holiday special, so without further delay, here it is! As my July special, I am offering clients who schedule and prepay their holiday portrait package this month a complementary session fee, 25 custom-designed holiday cards, and 2 free digital images on CD (along with the rights to reprint them up up 8x10 in size). That's a $430 value, just for planning ahead!

Holiday sessions can be scheduled in September, October, or November.

This year's holiday packages are:

The Holly Package
includes one 10x20 storyboard, one 11x14 traditional print, and a $600 print credit

The Mistletoe Package
includes one 16x20 gallery-wrapped canvas print, one 10x20 storyboard, 25 holiday cards, and a $600 print credit.

To schedule a holiday session and qualify for the Christmas in July special, contact me through the email form on my website. Weekend dates will fill quickly, so if you need a weekend appointment, please book early. And holiday sessions don't need to be holiday-themed. You are welcome to use this special for regular fall family or children's portraits.

So imagine it's cool outside (rather than 90 degrees and sticky!) and that you're sitting in your living room snuggled in a warm blanket, and looking at that gorgeous canvas portrait of your kids on the wall. It's like a holiday present to yourself, and since you prepaid it last July, it won't bust your holiday budget. So Ho!Ho!Ho! Merry Christmas in July!

Gotcha!

2008-07-19T18:54:00.008-04:00

This morning I had the opportunity to work with my first Celebration Adoption (CA) family. I am a participating photographer for the CA program, which links families who recently participated in the adoption process with custom photographers. I had a great time working with this family, and I enjoyed reading about their adoption journey on their blog. Old Town Alexandria turned out to be a great location for exploring and capturing some of their special moments.

Three Sisters

2008-07-18T22:55:00.005-04:00

This session was meant as a surprise for Mom, but it seems the cat is out of the bag, and she knows she has portraits coming her way. I hope she will love seeing the images of her sweet girls.

European Cutie

2008-07-16T23:46:00.004-04:00

This little guy came all the way from Austria for a session with me. Well, ok, maybe he had other reasons to visit too ;) He was staying with a neighbor, who mentioned that they just had to have some portraits before they left. So we popped him in the trusty orange bucket and made it happen. What a good sport, since it was probably past his bedtime and the bugs were eating us alive!