Posted on April 10, 2019
I love the idea of personalizing my clients family photo sessions! After all, there’s no family quite like yours, right?! So, when clients make a request to include their family pet into their session, how could I say “neigh”?! (if you stay with me after that dumb joke, you’re the real MVP)
Working with animals and people is a whole new ball game. You think it’s difficult to make a toddler look at you? Try getting a tortoise to cooperate! (Spoiler, I don’t know how to get a tortoise to cooperate) But, here are a few quick tips for a successful, pet friendly photo session.
4. Intriguing noises. A trick l like to use on dogs is to have a variety of “squeak toy” sound effects on my phone. (you can just Google “squeak toy noises”) When everyone is in position i press ‘play’ and this prompts Fido to look towards the camera. Don’t over do it, though, or he might lose interest. Also, some animals respond well to a crinkled plastic or paper bag or a whistle.
5. Keep it clean! If your pet is a dog, remember to bring some waste bags for quick clean up. For yourself, bring a lint roller for rogue pet hair. Also, a brush to keep your pet looking his best! If it’s particularly warm, bring water for your pets. And if you have a very energetic dog, take him for a walk beforehand so that he’ll be more cooperative during the session.
6. Finally, be flexible. The more relaxed you are the more relaxed everyone will be. Let go of perfection and enjoy the session. You are much more likely to love your photos if you loved your time during the photo session.
7. Bonus tip: If all else fails, make sure your photographer knows how to use Photoshop!
So have fun and don’t be afraid to include your furry family members into your session! Years later, you’ll be glad you did!
If you’d like to see a dreamy boho newborn photo session, please check out Chelseys work in this Cleveland Newborn Photographer blog post!
Posted on January 30, 2019
For years I lived under the pretense that people are either creative or they are not. And, (although I accepted it) that never felt “right” to me. For a longtime I felt like I was pretending to be creative. I would look at drawing books and try to recreate them. I would see craft projects and I’d try to put my own spin on it. I was always looking outside of myself and therefore, thought I was a fraud. I understood that to be creative you were constantly coming up with new ideas, breaking new barriers and always changing the molds! But then one day I heard something that stopped me in my tracks. “Creativity can be learned.” What’s that now?! “I’m sorry, could you speak into my good ear?!” (Ace Ventura) That’s right folks, creativity isn’t some elusive trait, it is a skill that can be learned! And just like most skills, if we want to excel at it, we must practice! If I wanted to be a professional synchronized swimmer, I’d need to practice every day. If I planned to play professional piccolo… I’d need to learn what that was. So, if I wanted to be any good at photography, I was going to have to buckle down and start learning, practicing, and shooting! Enter the 365 project. It’s pretty self explanatory, in that you shoot every day for 365 days.
So here are 4 reasons to get started on a 365 today! (That’s right, you don’t have to wait until the beginning of the year.)
One thing to consider along with starting a 365 is accountability. When we begin an exercise routine or a healthy living plan, we gather support and accountability from those around us, and this is no different. For me, that looked like announcing on my social media that I was beginning my 365 and every day I would number my images (i.e. 1 of 365). I was surprised at how often people I met would tell me that they looked forward to my daily images! If you are looking for groups to help, there are plenty on Instagram and Facebook. Some accounts or groups will support you by offering daily, weekly themes or monthly themes for you to join in and share to. For example, look at these hubs on Instagram here or here . But however you decide to do it, just DO it! You won’t regret it!
Aaand… if you have already started a 365 but need motivation to keep it going check out Kara Chappell’s helpful tips here: Family Photography on Whidbey Island
Category: education, kids, photography, Texas, Uncategorized Tagged: 365, camera, Child, creativity, featured, houston, how to, manual, photography, portraits, Texas