There's nothing like beautiful sunlight as a backdrop for special images.  The week before we had to reschedule our session due to some bad weather, but this evening ended up being perfect!  I love being able to meet new mommy and daddy's-to-be at their maternity session and get to know them before the birth of their baby.  From there, it's the exciting countdown to 'til the big day!  I love getting that eagerly awaited call or text letting me know their precious baby has been born and it's time to schedule their newborn session. I get even more excited when parents such as the Robertson's join in on the Watch Me Grow plan, then I'm able to see them many times throughout the first year.  It makes me smile just thinking about it! Check out some of my faves from their session.  Such an adorable couple :)

Being a birth/newborn photographer as well a mom, my heart just breaks for those that are pregnant right now.  The added stress of the chaotic world we are living in at the moment on top of every day normal fears of becoming a new mom, or even a mom again has to be gut wrenching. 

I've seen so many people making face masks for our brave and hard working medical staff all over the world and was a bit disappointed knowing I have no clue how to sew.  Over the last few days, I asked God to please help me find a way that I too can give back.  I've heard about desperate moms literally begging photographers to please take their photos so they don't miss out on this special time in their lives.  This got me thinking, what can I do personally to help eliminate this one stress from a new momma... and this morning, it came to me!

We all are stuck at home, doing our parts with social-distancing, so photography sessions just aren't possible.  So what if I made a list of tips in order to help you take your own maternity photos at home?  AND as an added bonus.....I will edit them for you, FREE of charge!

2. No fancy equipment needed unless of course you have a "fancy" dslr camera.  If you have a dslr camera awesome, if not, cell phones now days are pretty amazing and will work in order to get you some great shots! If you have a significant other that is able to take your photos then you don't need to worry about a "tripod", but even if you do I would highly suggest they get in on some photos with you!  And for that you still don't need anything fancy.  Get a chair, some books to stack up to get the height you need and maybe a coffee mug or something to lean your phone on an you're good to go!

5.  Lighting  If you're shooting outside, have your "session" early in the morning just after sunrise or during golden hour (an hour before sunset).  This will give you the best photo opportunities.  Never shoot in direct sunlight, in the middle of the day.  This creates squinty eyes and harsh shadows that never look good in any photo.  If you will be shooting inside, keep an eye on where the light is, in previous days and different times of the day. You will want decent light coming in the room you will be photographing in but watch for harsh shadows. If you're wanting to capture a silhouette pose, you'll need a window to be able to stand in front of with bright light coming in.  

6. Posing/Prop Ideas Prior to you shoot, take a look at your favorite photographers portfolio or Pinterest to get some ideas on what you like, how you should stand, where to put your hands, etc.  Choose about 5 or 6 poses you love and even print them or have them available on a phone or computer to look at during your photo session.  Try to keep props minimal so you focus more on the belly, but feel free to add in some cute meaningful things if you wish.  
Try not to stand like a statue.  Being in front of the camera is awkward for most people, including myself so I get it.  As you're posing make small adjustments, raise your chin up and down, turn your head ever so slightly, small with an open mouth then with a soft closed smile.  Laugh out loud or rotate your shoulders a little.  You will feel silly!  All of these small adjustments with each pose will help you achieve that perfect photo. Don't shoot up the nose and angles shooting slightly down are the most flattering.  

7.  Just keep Snapping!  Whether you have recruited your partner or are using the self timer, I encourage you to snap, snap, snap.  Even in your awkward moments, keep snapping, you never know what you will end up liking when you're all done.  You can decide later what to get rid of.  Ahhh....the beauty of digital photography.  I can take 100-200 photos in a typical session, but this allows room for eye blinks, poor lighting, bad expressions, etc.  And I NEVER delete anything in camera.  Sometimes a little post process editing can do wonders for some photos you originally thought were trash.  

8.  Intravalometer  Intra-WHAT?  If there is one thing to have to help your DIY session go smoothly, especially if you want to get some photos of you and your partner together, it's an intravalometer.  Big word, but don't let it scare you! An intervalometer allows you to take multiple images at a time, ever heard of sports mode on your camera? The difference is you don't need to be pushing the button.  Set the timer and how many interval photos you want (I'd suggest 1 photo every 5 seconds) and there you go!  You will get shots that show true emotion in the moment.  If you're using your cell phone, you can download a free app called Photo Timer that allows you to choose the number of photos and at what interval to take.  These can also be purchased for most cameras if you are going that route.

9.  Have Fun!  Enjoy this special time in your life and especially right now with so much negativity going on in the world.  This is a true miracle you are capturing and how special to look back on and say, "hey I took those!"

10.  Edits  I would LOVE to help you with your finished portraits by doing some editing for you!  These will be fairly simple edits as I wont be able to do a lot of in depth editing without RAW files but I'm happy to do up to 10 edits for you, FREE of charge. And!!!! You will also receive a $50 credit towards any future session in 2020!  Shoot me a message on how to get your photos to me! *Offer is good for the duration of the stay-at-home order here in IN

I hope these tips help you to achieve memories you can look back on and remember how beautiful you felt and how excited you were to meet your sweet gift soon to arrive. Feel free to shoot me a message either through email or on facebook with any questions you may have and stay tuned...there just may be a blog post about DIY hospital and newborn photos!

Having had our fair share of storms, we have been blessed to get our miracle rainbow baby.   So many stood beside us along our journey and we will forever be grateful.  This led me to think of a way to give back... and the Rainbow Baby Project was born!  

You can read about our own personal story here.
For more information and to nominate or apply for the project, check out the Rainbow Baby Project page here. 

Welcome to my new site and where I've started my first ever Blog! 

Most people make "new years resolutions" but I've decided to make 2020 my year of creativity!  Stepping out of my comfort zone a little and trying things I've thought I never could do....this being one.

I want to make this blog a place to showcase new and/or favorite sessions and hopefully a little bit on what goes on behind the scenes.  I've been working on ways to make things easier for current as well as new clients and some exciting ways for you to earn free stuff!  And we all love some freebies right?

Take a look around on the new site and please give me some feedback!  What do you like, not like, could make better, etc.  I've added some new, exciting stuff for 1 year cake smashes so be sure to check that out if you have a little one with a 1 year birthday coming up this year!  

I hope this will give you lots of information in the coming days/months and that you will want to come back often to see what the next exciting thing will be!  I have mini session ideas, referral rewards program, and a possible Rainbow Baby project I'm working on that you wont want to miss! 

Thanks for being the first to "stop by" in 2020 :) And now to start off with, check out this beautiful family of 3, soon to be 4! They are super recent here to the Lafayette area and I was so excited they found me just by searching online!  I was even more excited when momma had so many creative shots she wanted to do! We actually recreated the same pose they had done when their first was on his way.  They originally were hesitant to allow anything to be shared but once they viewed their images, they gave me the ok to share! But when your family looks so great, why not! I cannot wait to get their new addition in the studio next month.