

Attention Women – Ages 40 and Finer –
It is time to share your story and help others
We are looking for adventurous, spirited, fiery, tenacious women to photograph and share their personal life journey. We are creating a special blog and magazine featuring bold, brave, and badass women who are excited to help and encourage the next generation of ladies growing and developing in our ever-changing world. (Even if you don’t think you’re badass, we’re sure you are – so enter.)
This is your platform to elevate, teach and share your life lessons with the desire to plant the seed for development and change.
Submission guidelines:
Those selected to participate will receive:
($500 Value)
Entry submission ends
July 31, 2020
Announcing our twice-yearly Just for Mama Sessions! Go here to schedule a date or purchase now and schedule later! Offer only available July and August.
I’m so over this whole COVID thing; I’m sure you are too. I’m over the conflicting information, the endless arguments of wear a mask – don’t wear a mask. Fourth of July canceled – how do you cancel the Fourth of July?! I’m over not being able to work with very many clients . . . or any. Don’t get me wrong – I want everyone to be safe and I’m totally down with following the guidelines and have been. I just mean I’m ready to work – it makes me sad and sometimes scared about income – or lack thereof. But as the bank commercial says, “There’s a crack in everything for a reason . . how else can the light get in.”
We are in a time of change and change is never comfortable. But for things to change – so so much needs to change – we must endure these pain points.
Last September I quit my full time gig to work on this business. I had just enough money to get me through one year. I basically took the last three months of 2019 off. I did several sessions and worked part-time at the law firm I just quit, but I also just existed. I was recovering from many years of grief-inducing events that I never really sat down and let myself feel and get through.
When I quit my “career” of 31 years to do this full time, I thought to myself, in an attempt to help me be brave with the leap, if I didn’t make a dime in 2020, I would be fine. I had enough in savings to get by. UH, I DIDN’T MEAN FOR IT TO HAPPEN!
Enter 2020 – It started off okay – things were looking positive and definitely moving in the right direction. Seeds were being planted, I had a coach helping me out and my community was growing . . .
Shortly before the “lock-down,” I decided to take over a studio space. “Well as usual, I have great timing!” I could have backed out of it. I could have said, “No, bad timing.” “I’ll just play it safe.” But at 56 I’m sick of waiting for this to happen! It’s now or never. I’ve waited and worked on this business for way too many years to even say. It IS time (whoa, I just heard Rafiki in my head).
Fortunately, I know several other photographers that I look to as mentors that started and/or sustained their businesses during some of the worst times in recent economic history and are thriving still today.
When this all happened, I was actually excited – giddy in fact. Prior to, I felt like I wasn’t getting any headway on building the structure of my business. I didn’t have my systems in place; my pricing firm; products I want to sell; etc. Then this happened and I felt like the world was literally put on pause for me to catch up. I was ecstatic! It truly felt like a gift.
Have I caught up? Well, for the most part, yes. It’s been fun putting together my studio and my office/client lounge. I have all the printables I need designed and printed. I have created and printed magazines. I have completely revamped my website; produced videos. Designed and ordered product samples. Put together mock-ups so you can see how your photographs can look in your home. I know how much I’m charging and why. But money is going in the wrong direction – well at least only in one direction.
Each day is a different emotion. For the most part, I’m tootling along working on the business – nothing is ever completely done and ready to go in a business. Kind of like when to have a child – you’re never really ready. It’s rarely the perfect time. When I start thinking about designing special sessions – the when, what and where – I feel like “what’s the point?!” It’s hard to plan a party when you don’t know when it’s going to be.
It’s sad and discouraging. Will my business make it through this pandemic? What does our future look like? I don’t want to end up saying, “Well that was a huge waste of money and nothing to show for it.” Will I be the success story that I believe I can be? And God forbid what if I or my kids get sick?! Sometimes, frankly, I’m really depressed.
So, I just continue to put one foot in front of the other as if I’m going in the right direction. I guess that’s all we can do. That’s what faith is, right?
I am open for business and generally photograph out on location more than at the studio anyway, but the studio is safe and clean. And reveal sessions can be done remotely. We have options. I’m anxious for everyone to see and experience my studio, but I’m more anxious to just be out there creating and bringing people joy.
Here are some of the photos I’ve been able to do during this pandemic . . .
When I see this image of my mother (I believe she was 21) – I am grateful. I am grateful she had this photo done. I am grateful she and her mom kept and honored the photos they took.
Without this and other photos, I would only know the side of my mom that she showed me as my mother. My mother was a kid, a teenager, a friend, a sister, a daughter, a dancer, a wife, a mother, a coach, a working mom, a grandmother and a great grandmother. Without photographs we only know a piece of our loved ones.
What legacy are you leaving future generations?
Although we are in this time of uncertainty – we can be certain of a few things: (1) This virus will go away; (2) We will get back to our lives or living a new and improved normal; and (3) We will have a renewed sense of the importance of life and our family.
I invite you to schedule your Mother’s Day OR multi-generation session in honor of you, your mother and family. All sessions can be rescheduled if we cannot co-mingle in May, but reserve your spot now so that when the flood gates open, you will be able to take advantage of this special.
This photograph is approximately 94 years old. It is my father, his father, his grandmother and great grandmother. My great great grandmother was born in 1866 in Illinois. My great grandmother was born in 1882 in Arkansas. My grandfather was born in 1901 in Illinois and my dad in 1926. I have this photo hanging on my wall and look at it every day. It is a piece of my history. (I’m so curious why my dad and grandfather were not looking at the camera hahaha – I bet my grandmother was on the side of the photographer trying to make my dad smile.)
Generation sessions show your history. Where you came from – who you came from. You can see the connection and the honor my grandfather and great grandmother felt for my great great grandmother. They wanted to make sure their family was documented for future generations. I’m so thankful they did this.
During the month of March our studio is honoring Irish History Month – by focusing our efforts on all family history – your history. We are looking for families with three to four generations to come in for a special photo session. If your loved one cannot come to the studio, we will go to them. We want to know and tell your story. Enter here and let us know why you want a special multi-generation photo session.
While the idea of having your photographs delivered to you on a flash drive or via dropbox seems like the easiest way to get your hands on photos from your latest session, this isn’t always the best way. If you truly want to make the most of your photo session, meeting with your photographer after your session is highly recommended.
Your photographer puts a lot of time and effort into your session as well as the editing of your photos. A true professional won’t just abandon you as a client once the shoot is done. If you’re wondering why it’s important to meet with your photographer after your session, this is what you need to know.
One of the most common questions people have when preparing for their photo session is what to wear and what to bring. You want everyone in the photos to look their best, but you also want all the details in the photos to tie together so it looks cohesive and not overly matching. These simple tips will give you a better idea on how you can style your own outfits, accessories, and props so that everything meshes, but still pays tribute to who you are as a family.
Styling Your Photo Session
Most families tend to match their outfits by pattern or color but for the best results, you’ll want to skip putting everyone in matching clothes and colors and instead coordinate their outfits to play off one another. Let one of the family members secretly be the star of the photo shoot. Dress them in a patterned outfit that consists of at least three colors. Keep the rest of the family’s outfits simple with pops of color that coordinate with the star of the show’s outfit. And don’t forget to take the shoes into consideration as well.
Think about adding hats, scarves sweaters, vests, jackets or even flowers to hold or put in the hair. Consider accessorizing your kids in layers, textures and offer something for everyone to interact with. You don’t want the accessories to overwhelm the photo, but they can be a great way to offer a lot of variety throughout your session. Think of things that can be easily taken off or put back on.
It can be easier to work with children especially if they have something to play around with or hold for some of the images. Think about adding in some props that are meaningful to you and your family, maybe a favorite stuffed animal, family quilt or heirloom or even the family pet can be a great addition to your photo session. When choosing props ensure that they fit in well with the photo session and coordinate with the colors in your outfits – no bright pink bottles of bubbles with an earth-tone outfit. Nature’s decor like flowers, apples, or pumpkins are also a few great ideas for props.
Choosing a photo shoot location might seem like a big deal but it really doesn’t have to be difficult. A location usually drives some of the other decisions you will need to make about your shoot so it’s important to choose the right place. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before you decide on a location:
For example, this is an adorable English cottage facade, it is located at a venue that charges $300 an hour to photograph there. Is the venue worth it? My answer is yes, of course!
A great number of sought-out venues require a fee and many others need permits purchased ahead of time – so make sure you do the homework.
Make sure that your location doesn’t become a distraction and that there is shelter nearby if you need it. Your location tells a story so it’s worthwhile to choose a meaningful spot.
Below are our top five tips for taking on your senior portrait with grace and confidence and leaving with photos that you will love for years to come.
It’s completely normal to feel a little awkward when taking senior portraits. Many seniors tend to feel self-conscious about their appearance because they feel uncomfortable taking photos on their own.