Why They Get It!

Summer has come to a close, vacations have ended, and a new stage of life is settling upon us with the new school year. It is a good time to pause and consider all the milestones that are worth commemorating.

Very recently during a consultation with a new member of our photography family, we were discussing this very thing! It had been five years since their last family session so I asked, "What did those portraits mean to you so many years ago?" Far beyond the paper picture, they shared stories about the new stages of a young family, the significance of their favorite location by the sea, a major life change, and a fresh start in a new home halfway across the country. Not only that, the photography experience itself became a memorable family activity they all were able to share in the midst of this special time.

(Now, did you notice 90% of their answer had nothing to do with a photograph?)

As I listened to their story, I realized this family really gets it! I learned that the new portraits we would be creating together this October will represent their sense of home in the Northwest and the milestone of one child becoming a young woman while the other is immersed in boyhood adventures. It will be a connection to all the new experiences they are currently sharing in as a family.

They understand that these aren’t just photos, but emotional connections to meaningful life events that exist as the center of their family’s identity. They are a visual representation of the bonds they have with one another. Each one is a story told on the walls throughout their home and shared with anyone who will stop and listen.

If this is the photography experience you are looking for, this is what we are passionate about doing. In the digital age, anyone can take nice pictures, but not everyone can provide genuine care. We know the responsibility we have in telling people's stories which is why we are about focusing on the personal connection and understanding we have with each person we photograph. When we provide photography, we are creating emotional anchor points to memories you can always return to. We are telling your personal story.

-JMB

10 Tips to Improve Your Mother's Day Photos

This is the secret gift Mom REALLY wants for Mother’s Day!  It is so simple…photographs of the ones she loves and cares for most.  Unlike flowers, kitchen gadgets, home knickknacks, or even a card, photography is the one thing she is guaranteed to revisit for the rest of her life.  If you will be providing the photos for this years family Mother’s Day gathering, here are 10 excellent tips to make them shine!

1. Instead of asking everyone to look at the camera, let things flow naturally as though you are an observer documenting the visual story of her special day.

2. Don’t always try to get everything in one shot. By focusing in on the minor details or smaller groups of people at a time you will actually achieve a more complete “big picture” of the day.

3. Remember that heads usually don’t belong in the dead center of the frame. Instead, try and move the frame of the camera so the heads are a little off center and include just a little more of the environment.

4. Turn your camera on its side. We tend to default to landscape orientation because it’s what feels most natural with the way we hold the camera or view TV. To add new variety to your photos, try frequently turning the camera on its side for portrait orientation. This is especially great when photographing people.

5. Take a meaningful single portrait of each person Mom loves! Better yet, have each one take a picture individually with Mom!

6. Mom loves to feel emotionally connected to the photos, so move in even closer for the shot! Physically moving in closer reinforces a deeper, more personal connection with the photography subject.

7. Mom wants a shot of everyone together, but large groups take more care. One or two shots of whole group won’t cut it because someone always blinks. A pro secret is to take lots of photos, hoping one will turn out right. If it doesn’t, then simply use an editing program to paint Blinky’s eyes back in from another photo.

8. Avoid the in-camera flash whenever possible. Turn off your camera’s internal flash and turn up the available light in the room. This provides fuller, more natural lighting in your images.

9. Don’t get too caught up in trying to find the perfect photo. What matters most to Mom is that you were there and engaged as a meaningful part of her day!

10. If you are not the photographer type, consider giving Mom the gift of portrait photography. Whether it is an updated portrait of her dearest family, your own family, just the children, or all her grand-babies, she will cherish it forever!

-JMB