Covid-19 has changed something for everyone. For some people, it’s been devastating. For others, a mild inconvenience. A few people may have even found respite in the slower pace of life.
Enter front porch photography sessions. I thought they were such a neat way to photograph families in their own element, while being able to maintain the required distancing.
When the Caywood family asked me to come to their home for a porch session, I knew I was in for a treat! Cass and Haddie are the essence of childhood. They are talkative, inquisitive, active kids who want to go and do and explore and play and don’t want to sit still for pictures. That makes my job tough, but that’s also an excuse for me to play too. And make fart jokes.
Their home is beautiful, with a front porch that allows you to just sit and enjoy the peace of an evening sunset. The trees in their back yard and the pasture beyond are serene. I had to take advantage of the gorgeous light and capture some silly faces, some serious expressions, and kids being kids.
Thank you for letting me be part of your family. I love getting to watch your kids growing up!
Sometimes I love the smiling ones, and sometimes the sincere faces are my favorite.
I wonder if she’s looking for clovers or catching ladybugs or what.
Who can resist photographing this adorable face? The newest member of the family, Piper, the boxer puppy.
And just for fun, one image that captures how we really feel about the quarantine at times.
It always amazes me just how fast a baby grows into a toddler. Baby’s first year is a blur of sleepless nights, growth, milestones, changes, and personality! Your tiny little bundle quickly grows into a crawling, (or walking and running) toddler who is happy to explore their world and voice their opinion. Baby’s first birthday is a great milestone to celebrate!
Emma came to see me for her birthday session. With birthday sessions I usually include 2-3 different setups for families to capture those 12 month portraits, then we do a cake smash (if parents want), followed by a real bubble bath to clean up afterwards. I often capture some of the best baby smiles during the bath. By then little ones are warmed up to me and the sugar from the cake is in full effect (plus, who doesn’t love to splash?)
I think she enjoyed her cake. (This amazing cake is a custom creation made by the lovely and talented Tami at https://www.tamiscupsncakes.com. )
Happy Birthday Emma!
As much as I love smiling baby pictures, sometimes the serious, more somber ones speak to my soul. Just look a those baby blues!
She’s so animated! We had such a good time playing peekaboo and playing with all sorts of noisemakers. I might have even broken out my squeaky rubber chicken. I’m not afraid to be silly if it means getting a genuine smile from your little one.
Seriously, is there anything cuter than baby bum?
Now, on to the cake smash….
I think it’s safe to say she likes her birthday cake!
If you drop a piece, you have to find it.
I love how excited she gets over the cake. I do too baby girl!
Taking a close inspection. Checking out the unicorn’s ears. (They’re edible too).
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!
I’m not sure what made her cry. (It didn’t last long, she decided to try some more frosting and was a happy camper again.)
When she made it clear she was done we moved on to the bath. Emma smashed her cake and splashed her bath and had a fantastic time all around. Thanks for celebrating your birthday with us!
I have started typing this post only to delete it all and start over countless times now. I’m just going to get my thoughts out.
Things are… weird right now. We aren’t used to being told to stay home and stay away from each other. We take for granted little things like going out to eat or going to see a movie. We may have some fear and anxiety as we face the unknown. We may be watching the news religiously or avoiding it completely. We are all getting through it one day at a time in our own way!
I miss you guys. As much as I dislike the “general public”, I really truly LOVE “my people”. And you guys are “my people”. The families who have allowed me into their lives to see a glimpse at their beautiful, messy, REAL families. The ones who have let me be a part of their children growing up. I get so much joy watching babies turn into big kids, watching nervous couples navigate the uncharted waters of parenthood and then seeing them come back a year later, fully confident and seasoned as parents of a toddler.
But now I can’t do that. This stinks. I’m not gonna lie, this thing has been really hard for me too. I just miss your kids.
I can’t wait to see you all when this thing is over.
I’m going to chose to stay positive.
On another note, I’m booking well into fall now, so if you think you’ll want family photos in summer or fall, please don’t wait! Let’s go ahead and secure a date for you now.
I know you’re probably struggling too. Hang in there. This too shall pass. It may pass like a kidney stone, but it will pass.
Until then, enjoy some images from one of my last sessions before the “Stay in place” order was issued. (Distancing guidelines were observed during this session. That’s the joy of a 70-200 lens!)
I’m really hoping next spring we can schedule more sessions in the blooming peach orchard of B.J. Reece Orchards. Isn’t is GORGEOUS?
This post is for potential clients, but more so for fellow photographers.
If you don’t know me, my name is Angela and I run Shot From the Heart Photography. My schedule is pretty awesome- I have many weekdays as well many weekends available for my photography sessions. However, every third day, I leave home for 24 hours and report to Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services where I am a Lieutenant and Paramedic. I’ve been in public safety over 18 years, and have learned a lot along the way. I do get the opportunity to photograph a LOT of firefighter’s babies, and wanted to take a minute to share some important information with you.
(This post and my photography business are in no way endorsed by Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services. This post, and the information herein, is all my own doing in an attempt to help educate fellow newborn photographers and keep babies as safe as possible).
So you have a firefighter who wants to incorporate pictures of his new baby with his turnout gear? That sounds awesome! But before you just ask the family to bring the gear to their session, there are a few things you need to know.
What’s in turnout gear?
Firefighters wear their turnout gear (or bunker gear) at a variety of places, from car accidents, to fires, and even some EMS calls, and their bunker gear is exposed to multiple substances that you do not want near a new baby. Glass shards, gasoline, diesel fuel, motor oil, transmission fluid, and more can all be found at car accidents. Blood, vomit, fecal matter, and other bodily fluids can contaminate turnout gear at accident scenes.
Fighting fires produces soot and ash. Once the fire is out, salvage and overhaul is the process firefighters go through to no only ensure that there are no hidden embers, but also to save as much of the homeowner’s property as possible. Fires produce toxic chemicals like phosgene, hydrogen cyanide, and carbon monoxide. All of these carcinogens can permeate gear and linger for a long time.
If you have a family who wants to include turnout gear with their session, notify them that their gear MUST be CLEAN. My department utilizes commercial extractors just for cleaning turnout gear. I require my firefighters to wash their gear a MINIMUM of 2 times before bringing it to my studio. This is non-negotiable.
Recommend Alternatives to Turnout Gear
Many vendors offer firefighter themed newborn outfits, props, and backdrops. This is the safest way to photograph newborns and infants while showing off that firefighter theme. Some vendors include Number 2 Willow Lane , Sew Whimsey, and Baby Dream Backdrops among others. Check with your favorite vendors to see if they have any firefighter-themed items you might be able to use.
Use a Barrier!
If parents want to use their gear, ALWAYS use a barrier (inside helmets too). In these images, babies are swaddled snugly then placed on top of a barrier device. At no point in time is baby ever in direct contact with turnout gear. Even after being washed a minimum of twice, there is no way to ensure that a small piece of broken glass isn’t embedded in the fabric of the gear somewhere. Do not ever risk putting delicate baby skin directly on bunker gear. Ever.
To set up these images, I place the bunker pants into my set first and separate the top of the boots as much as possible to create a space between the top of the left and right boot. I then take the turnout coat and fold the sleeves in, ensuring that if there’s a last name on a tail tag, it’s visible before draping it over the middle of the boots and pants. I pay special attention to removing the wrinkles and ensuring the name is legible. I want the back side of the setup (where baby’s lower body will go) to be lower than the front, so baby’s upper body is higher. I usually add the helmet last then take several images of just the setup before adding baby. Once baby is placed and settled, I ALWAYS have a spotter with hands on baby. This is edited out in post processing with the help of the images I took of just the gear.
Composite Images:
Composite images are several images merged together to create the final image. These are NOT shot as they appear.
For this, a tall, heavy item is placed in dad’s pocket with the wrap present. (Think bowling pin or similar. The weight will give pull to the pocket, the height give’s dad’s hand something to rest against.) Photograph dad where his hand would be for baby. Then, photograph baby in a prop wrapped up with the same wrap. For this, baby can be in a bucket with one arm resting on the lip/edge, and one arm down like seen here. Having dad place his hand on baby’s head will help with the composite (shadow placement, etc on dad’s hand). Merge the two images together. Photographing intentionally makes this composite much easier to complete.
Keep Baby Safe
Above all, it’s your job as a professional photographer to keep baby safe. Recommending alternatives to turnout gear, ensuring gear is cleaned, using barrier devices, and knowing how to perform composite images are all key to serving your smallest clients. You don’t have to be a firefighter to recommend best practices to your client and prepare them for their session.
Working with children can be a challenge, but it can be so rewarding! You have to know how to be silly, how to play, and how to tell if you’re pushing them too much or they need a break. As a child photographer, I have an array of tricks up my sleeve guaranteed to get even the toughest kiddo to have fun and give me genuine smiles. I can’t promise that I won’t get your child wound up before giving them back to you, but we definitely have fun during your photography session! (I like to ask kids which family member has the stinkiest feet, and I may even break out a rubber chicken. Consider yourself warned.)
If your child has a birthday approaching, or you just need to get some updated images of them (with real smiles, not “say cheese” ones), I’m the photographer for you!
Here are some images from Ruby’s session. She wanted a mermaid themed birthday, so of course she had to comb her hair with a Dinglehopper. It’s what mermaids do! Then she saw some of the princess dresses I have for my clients to use and had to try them all on. She especially loved the green one that reminded her of Princess Tiana from Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog”. It has jingle bells on the back for even more princess bling. The dresses are all from Dollcake and are always a favorite for aspiring princesses.
Their story is theirs to tell, but this incredible couple has faced challenges and heartbreaks along their journey to parenthood. When they were ready to learn if they were having a boy or girl, they solicited my help at capturing this special moment.
Pregnancy announcements and gender reveals can be incredibly emotional- such a neat thing that I got to learn their baby’s gender first!
Congratulations and happy, healthy pregnancy you two!
Baby’s first birthday only happens once. Planning a cake smash session can be a ton of fun! I think my parents have a better time than my birthday babies. There is so much laughter, it truly is an experience.
This post hi lights just a few of my favorite images from a recent cake smash session. It’s also serving as a test post- I am migrating my website over to a different platform, and it looks like the majority of my previous blog posts lost a substantial amount of image quality in the transfer. Testing to see how this looks, and hoping that I don’t have to delete everything that transferred over, but I don’t want to leave it up looking fuzzy and blurry. Any WordPress gurus out there? (I’m using Elementor pro if you’re familiar with that).
Do me a favor please? If you happen to see this, can you please leave a comment so I can see how that process works (if the backend notification process is working correctly, etc). Thanks.
