What should my family wear for my maternity session? | Denver Materntiy Photographer
Last year I published a blog all about what to wear for your maternity session. Today I want to take that a step further for sessions involving dad or older children. Now that you know what you are wearing, what do you put them in? Here are a few of my top tips for dressing dad and your other babies!
Last year I published a blog all about what to wear for your maternity session. Today I want to take that a step further for sessions involving dad or older children. Now that you know what you are wearing, what do you put them in? Here are a few of my top tips for dressing dad and your other babies!
1. Coordinate, don’t match!
This is one of the biggest mistakes I see people make when choosing clothing for photo shoots and it’s even more important when it comes to maternity portraits. The last thing you want it for your baby bump to blend into dads shirt. Having dad or the kids in a color that looks great with your gown but doesn’t match it allows you and your baby bump to shine in the portraits!
2. Choose solid colors
There are definitely exceptions to this rule but overall a solid color is typically best for dad and the kids. Again this allows mom to shine in the photos so your eye is drawn to her, not to a patterned shirt.
3. Dress it up
I love it when dad wears a suit, vest, suspenders, or even a tux (yes, I have had dad show up in a tux for the session!) but, even if your man or little men are not suit kind of guys I highly recommend a nice button-down shirt for the session even if they choose to pair it with some nice jeans. I have photographed moms in my maternity gowns with dad in a polo or t-shirt and honestly, dad just looked out of place. A nice shirt on dad honestly makes all the difference. For you little girls I have a variety of nice dresses that will match the look and feel of the maternity gowns without distracting from you so make sure to give me your little girls size so I can show you what I have available for her for the shoot.
4. Comfort is still important
While this does contradict the tip above stay with me for a moment. I get it dad and kids may not be 100% on board with being part of this shoot. Unfortunately, sometimes that is just the case. If having to dress nicely is going to result in a grumpy participant then go with comfort over style. This sample photo…her son is wearing sweat pants below that polo shirt., and we made it work. I always say have them wear the nicest thing you can get them to happily wear. Although there is nothing wrong with also slipping a nicer option in the car to see if you can get a few shots in it too!
Still feeling lost? Don’t stress it, as part of my service I will come to you for a dress fitting and family clothing consultation before the shoot. You can try on the gowns and we will look through your partner and kid’s closets to see what you have that coordinates. Ready to learn more? Let’s start with a phone call to go over details and start to plan your dream shoot. Click the link below to contact me to set it up!
Jennifer Tavera is a Luxury family, maternity and newborn photographer in Denver Colorado who specializes in creating an experience that will make mom feel confortable, papered and beautiful so she will be excited to turn her portraits into art for her home. Sessions are available outdoors all over the Denver and Boulder area and studio sessions in the studio space in Arvada. Ready to start planning your dream session? Click below to schedule a call.
Jennifer
The Gloria Gown | Newborn and Maternity photographer Denver
I am so excited to show off the exclusive Sew Trendy So You winter 2021 Subscription box! This is a limited edition Couture gown that is currently only offered to So You subscribers. Part of the fun of the box is you don’t know what it’s going to look like until your box arrives!
I am so excited to show off the exclusive Sew Trendy So You winter 2021 Subscription box! This is a limited edition Couture gown that is currently only offered to So You subscribers. Part of the fun of the box is you don’t know what it’s going to look like until your box arrives! Check out my gown unboxing in the video below!
The new Gloria gown is now available in my client closet! Mommy and me/family sessions using this gown will be happening Saturday February 26th and Sunday, April 10th space is VERY limited so contact me today for information and to reserve your spot!
It is an off-the-shoulder wrap-style gown that can adjust to fit women from approximately size 0-16. It features elegant bishop sleeves and the gown I received is a beautiful “Almond” gold color! This gown is perfect for family, mommy and me, maternity and newborn sessions.
Visit https://www.sewtrendyaccessories.com/collections/sew-trendy-so-you-subscription-box/products/sew-trendy-so-you-studio-subscription-box #Sewtrendyaccessories #Sewtrendysoyou
Ready to get started? Click below to schedule a call and get all of the information about your session!
Jennifer Tavera is a Luxury family, maternity, and newborn photographer in Denver Colorado who specializes in creating an experience that will make mom feel comfortable, papered, and beautiful so she will be excited to turn her portraits into art for her home. Sessions are available outdoors all over the Denver and Boulder area and studio sessions in the studio space in Arvada. Ready to start planning your dream session? Click below to schedule a call.
Jennifer
Wall art sizing guide | Denver Family Photographer
If you are planning on hanging your portrait or gallery wall centered above a piece of furniture like a table, bed or couch the you will want the image to be 50-75% of the size of the piece of furniture. The same rule applies if you are using a gallery wall, you will want to space the images 1-4 inches apart and have the full set be no more than 75% as wide as the furniture below it.
When I started working at the commercial portrait studio 15 years ago I sold prints and wall “enlargements”. In the one week of training, we received before starting as a photographer and “portrait artist” not one bit was about how to help our clients choose the best size of art for their home. Most of our clients came in, bought 8x10 prints, and likely went home and realized they were way too small for their space. After 9 years as a business owner, I started offering my clients wall art and studying interior design. While I still have so much to learn one thing I have learned is that there are rules to choosing the proper size wall art piece, especially if it is going to hang above a piece of furniture. So today I am sharing those “secrets” with all of you.
You may be reading this because you are a current client of mine, or looking to hire a photographer, or maybe you stumbled across this trying to decide what size painting to hang above your couch. Either way, whether you come to have your portrait taken in my Arvada photography studio or a beautiful outdoor location in the Colorado mountains and allow me to design your art for you or you just need to find the right size for the landscape print you are ordering the rules are the same.
The Basics
If you are planning on hanging your portrait or gallery wall centered above a piece of furniture like a table, bed, or couch you will want the image to be 50-75% of the size of the piece of furniture. The same rule applies if you are using a gallery wall, you will want to space the images 1-4 inches apart and have the full set be no more than 75% as wide as the furniture below it.
There are two different rules for how high to hang your images. The rule for hanging above furniture is 6-12” inches above the furniture piece however the general rule is at eye level. Here is how I handle these two sometimes contradicting rules:
For a low piece of furniture that is well below eye level, hang the images at eye level. In the image above it appears that the table is fairly low so when I created this sample I “hung” the images at what I believed to be approximately eye level. You could put something decorative on top of the table (maybe candle sets on either side?) to give the table some height and then hang the art 6 inches above the top of the decorations if you wanted to try and follow both rules.
For higher furniture pieces, go with the 6 images above to hang as close to every level as possible.
And in the case you have small children who may touch your art, either choose a durable option such as canvas or hang just out of reach of your little one!
Choosing the proper size for above a bed
This is a quick “cheat sheet” for creating art galleries above your bed based on the size of the bed.
The program I use to show my clients their art, which is also what I use to create these sample galleries, shows me the total width of the full gallery set so that I can make sure I create the correct size for your home. So having a cheat sheet to check those numbers against is really helpful to make sure that when it arrives it will fit perfectly like this set that I created for a client last fall.
Sizing “cheat sheet”
If you are hanging your art above the headboard choose this size for the best fit:
Twin bed- 22-30” inch art
Full bed - 30-40” art
Queen bed - 34-45” art
King bed - 42-56” art
Crib (above the long side) - 30-40”
Hopefully this gives you a start in choosing the correct size. I would love to design portrait art that fits perfectly into your space. When I plan your session with you and create your art I take into account the colors and design style of your space as well to make sure your art looks at home in your space! Ready to get started? Click below to schedule a call and get all of the information about your session!
Jennifer Tavera is a Luxury family, maternity, and newborn photographer in Denver Colorado who specializes in creating an experience that will make mom feel comfortable, papered, and beautiful so she will be excited to turn her portraits into art for her home. Sessions are available outdoors all over the Denver and Boulder area and studio sessions in the studio space in Arvada. Ready to start planning your dream session? Click below to schedule a call.
Jennifer
Levonia's Mountain Maternity Session | Morrison Colorado Photographer
Winter maternity session in Morrison Colorado.
Every once in a while despite my 15 years of experience and careful session prep, a session doesn’t go quite as planned.
I had the honor of creating portrait art for so many awesome clients in 2021. I was so busy during the fall that I never had the chance to show off all of the images on my blog. I am starting with this session from the end of October because most of the leaves had fallen and this location should look very similar to this most of the winter, with the possible addition of some snow on the ground.
I met Levonia through my 2021 expecting moms group. Every year for the past 3 years myself and 2 other professionals in the birth/maternity/newborn fields have hosted a Facebook group to help new moms connect and navigate pregnancy and motherhood. If you are expecting in 2022 please join us in this years group.
I loved Levonia from the moment I met her during our zoom consultation. She is so sweet and outgoing and was so excited about capturing her maternity portraits and getting to use my gowns.
On the day of her session, I arranged for a hair and makeup artist to go to her home and help her get ready for the session. All of my maternity and family sessions include hair and makeup as part of the services I provide. I want to make sure every mama looks and feels her best for the session.
I met up with Levonia and her husband Andy up at Meyer Ranch Park in Morrison in late October. I have to say that this fall was like nothing I have ever seen before, normally the fall color is gone in the mountains by around the first week of October but it lasted through most of the month and down in Denver through much of November. I chose this location because the mountain views and evergreen trees make it a great spot year-round but, I was pleasantly surprised to find bits of yellow left when we arrived.
Every once in a while despite my 15 years of experience and careful session prep, a session doesn’t go quite as planned. Due to circumstances outside of their control, my clients arrived a little late to this session. Luckily I had scheduled with about a 30-minute extra buffer before sunset, so when they arrived we still had almost 90 minutes until sunset. We started up a small incline taking our time and stopping for portraits as we went. We were about 25 minutes into the session and halfway up the hill when Levonia mentioned that she was a little light-headed. Unfortunately, the nearest place to sit was up at the top of the hill so we turned the rolling suitcase into a place to sit and I held it in place while her husband ran to go get her water from the car. I’m not going to lie, there was a moment where I thought I was going to have to attempt to catch here and I pictured both of us lying on the ground lol. Luckily her husband arrived with the water and after drinking some she was up to continue to the top of the hill where there was a real place for her to sit and rest for a bit.
The downside to this delay was that we missed sunset to allow her to rest and make sure she was ok. The good news is the bench was next to the restrooms and after resting she was able to change and into the other gown she had selected and get some shots that were outside of my usual style, after dark. Back in my days of being a natural light photographer I would have had to cut this session short after the first gown however my expertise in off-camera flash allowed me to shoot for a short time after the sun dipped behind the mountains. The end result was that even between them arriving late and us pausing the session partway through I was still able to create my average 30+ portraits for them to choose their wall art from, and they still loved the images!
After talking to her a bit, I realized that her and her husband had only moved to Colorado, from a sea-level start, around a year before. On top of not being used to the altitude, she had not been drinking much water that day in all the excitement of getting ready for the session. So a few tips for your session to prevent this from happening again.
!. Hydrate: 1/2 your body weight in oz. of water is the recommended water intake for most people, however when dealing with high altitude drinking more is normally a good idea.
2. Let me know if you are new to Colorado. There are many beautiful Colorado locations I can recommend for those who may not do well with the high altitude.
3. Bring water with you. This goes back to #1 Hydrate.
Not every session is going to go exactly to plan, however, when working with a true professional you will still get amazing images in the end. I am so happy I was able to create images for my clients that they were excited to hang in their home. Here are a few of my favorites from the session!
I would love to help you create your dream portraits. Click below to contact me and set up a consultation call.
Jennifer Tavera is a Luxury family, maternity and newborn photographer in Denver Colorado who specializes in creating an experience that will make mom feel confortable, papered and beautiful so she will be excited to turn her portraits into art for her home. Sessions are available outdoors all over the Denver and Boulder area and studio sessions in the studio space in Arvada. Ready to start planning your dream session? Click below to schedule a call.
Jennifer
Studio Christmas sessions | Arvada Colorado Portrait Studio
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Truth Photography!
I was so honored to be able to celebrate with families in a new way this year with studio sessions in the Arvada photo studio located off of 80th and Wadsworth. The studio was beautifully decorated for the Holidays including this beautiful bed set. This was one of a couple of holiday sets that were available. I am so excited to be sharing this gorgeous space with two other photographers over the next few months and hopefully beyond!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Truth Photography!
I was so honored to be able to celebrate with families in a new way this year with studio sessions in the Arvada photo studio located off of 80th and Wadsworth. The studio was beautifully decorated for the Holidays including this beautiful bed set. This was one of a couple of holiday sets that were available. I am so excited to be sharing this gorgeous space with two other photographers over the next few months and hopefully beyond!
Here are some of my favorite images from family and milestone baby sessions in the studio last month. I will be offering this space for newborn, baby, kids and cake smash sessions as well as the occasional family or maternity shoot. Each season there will be a limited edition holiday set as well as staples like the bed and couch areas perfect for newborn family shots, milestone sessions and kids portraits. To see more of the studio visit my last blog post using the button below.
This bed has already been redecorated for spring and summer sessions! We also have the Valentines set ready for sessions in January and February so contact me today to book you spot!
Jennifer Tavera is a Luxury family, maternity and newborn photographer in Denver Colorado who specializes in creating an experience that will make mom feel confortable, papered and beautiful so she will be excited to turn her portraits into art for her home. Sessions are available outdoors all over the Denver and Boulder area and studio sessions in the studio space in Arvada. Ready to start planning your dream session? Click below to schedule a call
Jennifer
Echo lake, Evergreen Colorado | Colorado Photoshoot Locations
Part of creating a luxury experience for my clients is knowing and recommending the best locations to them for their photoshoots. Choosing a location for your portrait session here in Colorado can get complicated. There are hundreds of beautiful spots all with their own rules, perks, and often fees for use. Luckily I navigate this for my clients.
Part of creating a luxury experience for my clients is knowing and recommending the best locations to them for their photoshoots. Choosing a location for your portrait session here in Colorado can get complicated. There are hundreds of beautiful spots all with their own rules, perks, and often fees for use. Luckily I navigate this for my clients. Your session fee includes not only your hair and makeup so you can look amazing, but also travel fees and location permit fees for any location listed on my blog. When we sit down for your consultation you can tell me what you envisioned for your session, and I can give you a few suggested locations that match your vision. After that I’ll take care of the rest. Or if you see a location here that you love, mention it when you contact me! Here is another mountain location on my favorites list!
Best time of year for this location:
This mountain location Is beautiful all year round. Due to the high altitude, the roads may be icy during the snowy months.
Best time of day for this location:
This location would be beautiful for sunrise or sunset sessions however since my sessions come with hair and makeup I only shoot here in the evening to allow time for hair and makeup to be done.
Drive time:
This location is one of the further locations on my list, normally I include locations that are around an hour drive from the north Denver area. This location is just over an hour from Denver metro however it is so beautiful I have decided to make it one that I regularly offer.
Parking:
There is a small parking lot on the same side as the lake however it fills up quickly. More parking can be found across the street.
Family friendliness:
This is a great spot for family sessions with many beautiful spots close to the parking lots. It is also a very safe location if you are looking for mountain views. There are no cliffs or sudden drop-offs near the areas where I shoot.
What should I wear for my maternity session? | Denver Colorado maternity photography
If you are looking at having maternity photos done you have probably seen hundreds of shots where mom is wearing a gorgeous gown that makes her look like a goddess, or princess, or just amazing! You may be dreaming of the perfect gown, but in your mind wondering if it is worth spending the money for a dress you will wear once. Many of us photographers have been dreaming of taking your photos in that perfect gown and have, like me, started a collection, or client closet, for their clients to use. As I write this in August 2021 my gown collection consists of 23 gowns size small to XL and I’ll admit, I was looking at a new one today!
If you are looking at having maternity photos done you have probably seen hundreds of shots where mom is wearing a gorgeous gown that makes her look like a goddess, or princess, or just amazing! You may be dreaming of the perfect gown, but in your mind wondering if it is worth spending the money for a dress you will wear once. Many of us photographers have been dreaming of taking your photos in that perfect gown and have, like me, started a collection, or client closet, for their clients to use. As I write this in August 2021 my gown collection consists of 23 gowns size small to XL and I’ll admit, I was looking at a new one today!
I have a range of gowns so I wanted to put together this blog with some tips on finding the right one for you!
Personally, I love both, and both can be beautiful for your session. Form-fitting gowns give me a little more freedom for posing your hands, they don’t have to be on your belly for every shot because that gown is going to show it off! Flowy gowns are popular however because many moms want to feel like a princess at their session and the flowy gowns definitely give that vibe! They are also more forgiving if you are not really sure what size you need, they typically fit a size larger or smaller than the size on their tag.
Do you want to toss?
You probably just thought huh? Unless you are as obsessed with designer maternity gowns as I am, then you may have known exactly what I meant. Many high-end maternity gowns are designed with what is called a tossing train. These trains can be a lot of fun at your session for all kinds of dramatic shots, just be warned I may put the baby’s dad to work tossing if for us!
Even if we choose not to toss the gown it can be perfect for dramatic images with the gown laid on the ground. I have added a variety of images below with my tossing train gowns so you can see both the toss and non-tossed train.
Color can be used to tell a story, like the gender of your baby, or that this baby is your rainbow, the joy after a loss. But choosing color can also just be about choosing the best tones for your skin color.
Cool skin tones
Colors that will compliment your skin tone include; Green/Emerald, purples, light or bright blue, sage green, light pink, very pale yellows, reds, bright white, gray, or navy.
Warm skin tones
Colors that will compliment your skin tone include; Green, brown, mustard yellow, warmer reds, peach, coral, gold, olive or moss green, plum or magenta purple.
Not sure which you are? I found this quiz that helps you find out, don’t worry it doesn’t ask for any contact info! https://www.popsugar.com/beauty/Warm-Cool-Undertones-Quiz-1843402
I am always expanding my collection so while some of these shades aren’t currently included I am hoping they will be very soon!
What do I do if you just can’t choose?
Don’t worry, you don’t have to choose just one! You can choose up to 3 different gowns to wear for your session! I will help you choose up to 3 unique looks for your session. I want this to be a session you will never forget!
I also provide accessories for your session! I hand make all of my floral crowns so that they match perfectly with my gowns. They are often made with a specific client in mind, for example, a mommy and me set made for a maternity shoot with a 3-year-old big sister participating. Or, the purple and red crown I made for the session where mom was wearing my plum colored gown and dad was wearing a red shirt. The crown tied the colors together perfectly! In addition to the florals, I offer glam accessories like gemstone sashes, jewelry, and crown. I will help you perfectly match your accessories not only to your gown but also to coordinate with anyone else participating in the session!
Throughout this post I have shown many of the gowns I offer currently however I am always adding new ones to my collection! Take a look at my collection here and contact me today to schedule a consultation to select your gown and accessories!
Betasso Preserve, Boulder {Colorado Photography Locations}
Lair O’the Bear is a great spot for sessions for those who want the feel of being in the mountains without traveling up steep winding roads. It is also a great spot for those who would like that mountain feel as well as a river. It is located west of Morrison CO only about a 10-minute drive into the mountains.
I fell in love with this park immediately with its stunning mountain views, beautiful evergreen trees, and stacked split rail fences. I believe that this will be a new favorite on my locations list!
Best time of year for this location:
This mountain location Is beautiful all year round and was easy to access even in the winter. In the case of a large amount of snow like the 2 feet we had recently the parking, lots may be closed as was the case the day I first went to scout the location however, they were able to get them back open the week after the storm.
Day of the week restrictions:
This location is only available for shoots on Wednesday or Saturday evening. It is a big mountain biking spot and on other days of the week, it is often overly crowded however the park does not allow bikes on those two days each week.
Best time of day for this location:
Sunset, I actually shot earlier in the day the first session I shot there and while there was some shade it was not enough to produce the even lighting that I prefer so I would highly recommend sticking to a sunset session for the best light.
Parking:
There are a few parking lots up at the preserve. I have my clients meet in the first lot which you will take a left turn into and follow the road, it then splits into a lower lot and upper “picnic area” please park in the lower of those two lots if possible.
Family friendliness:
This is a great spot for family sessions with many beautiful spots close to the parking lots. It is also a very safe location if you are looking for mountain views. There are no cliffs or sudden drop-offs near the areas where I shoot.
I would love to help you plan your session with a free no-obligation consultation. I will answer all of your questions about sessions and wall art and help you plan the session of your dreams. To request more information click the link below and tell me a little about the session you would like to plan. I will get back to you to schedule a consultation.
Eliana pink and gold first birthday {Denver Cake Smash Photographer}
Every baby treats the cake smash differently, most take forever to even try the cake. Some babies get excited about the cake right away and then quickly lose interest, either way, I can get adorable portraits.
I get this excited for the cake too! Isn’t little Eliana smile precious here! I had so much fun photographing this precious girl!
Every baby treats the cake smash differently, most take forever to even try the cake. Some babies get excited about the cake right away and then quickly lose interest, either way, I can get adorable portraits.
Eliana took awhile to get excited about the cake and didn’t make as big of a mess as some babies BUT she gave the most precious smiles and beautiful expressions. The photos from her session are absolutely precious, so cure in fact that I had a hard time narrowing down which to show in this blog. So, here are all of my favorites!
Cake by Cherry on Top Bakery Inc
I would love to plan a cake smash session for your baby. Set up a free consultation to discuss your theme and all of the session details.
Lair O'the Bear, Morrison {Denver Photography Locations}
Lair O’the Bear is a great spot for sessions for those who want the feel of being in the mountains without traveling up steep winding roads. It is also a great spot for those who would like that mountain feel as well as a river. It is located west of Morrison CO only about a 10-minute drive into the mountains.
Lair O’the Bear is a great spot for sessions for those who want the feel of being in the mountains without traveling up steep winding roads. It is also a great spot for those who would like that mountain feel as well as a river. It is located west of Morrison CO only about a 10 minute drive into the mountains.
Best time of year for this location:
This mountain location Is beautiful all year round and was easy to access even in the winter. The mountain views and evergreen trees make it a perfect winter location when most trees in the Denver area are dead.
Best time of day for this location:
I book sessions at this location for 2-3 hours before Denver’s sunset time since the mountains block the sun a little earlier.
Parking:
There is one large parking lot for this park. It is typically best to park at the far side away from the road since I normally start the session on the path at that end of the parking lot. If however, you need to use the restrooms (outhouse) they are located closer to the start of the parking lot.
Family friendliness:
This is a great spot for family sessions with many beautiful spots close to the parking lots.
I would love to help you plan your session with a free no-obligation consultation. I will answer all of your questions about sessions and wall art and help you plan the session of your dreams. To schedule your consultation click “contact me” below.
In home newborn portraits {Westminster Newborn Photographer}
Most photographers recommend that you have your newborn portraits taken in the first 14 days of your baby’s life. The reason for this is in the early days babies sleep better for their session, relax into the poses, and don’t get as upset about being posed and moved. If you missed to 2-week “cutoff” as well don’t worry, with a little extra work to settle your baby you can still have beautiful portraits of your baby at this age.
Most photographers recommend that you have your newborn portraits taken in the first 14 days of your baby’s life. The reason for this is in the early days babies sleep better for their session, relax into the poses, and don’t get as upset about being posed and moved.
With all the craziness of the last year though, a lot of parents missed that 2 week milestone. Wyatt’s mom contacted me when he was already 2 months old to schedule his portraits in December. If you missed to 2-week “cutoff” as well don’t worry, with a little extra work to settle your baby you can still have beautiful portraits of your baby at this age.
Wyatt was a little cranky at first, but after awhile we were able to get him to settle down and fall asleep for a few minutes. When he woke back up a few minutes later when I moved him to a new pose (another downside of older babies is they are very unlikely to sleep through being moved) he was happy and smiley for me!
In the end, we got some adorable images of him and mom and dad loved them!
I would love to photograph your baby. Ideally, you should contact me before your baby arrives but if your little one is already here I would still love to help you capture their first portraits!
Why professional photo printing is important {Denver Photographer}
All of my clients receive both printed portraits AND digital files. When you invest in images through me I can ensure that you receive a product that will last longer and look better hanging in your home. You will still receive the digital files for sharing online, creating fun photo gifts or cards, and even making additional prints to send out to your family, but, you will also have high-quality images that I know you will love!
All of my clients receive both printed portraits AND digital files. I often get asked why I don’t just give my clients the digital files and let them print them. There are several reasons why I chose to give a printed product, if you haven’t read my blog post “how one family changed the way I do business” then go read that for one of the biggest reasons, another huge reason is quality. If you had your images printed at a store that also sold food and cosmetics, you did not get a professional quality print. The same applies if you printed at a discount online printer. These printers are only a small step up from printing on your home printer.
So what is the difference between a professional quality print and those done by these discount printers?
1. Color
Professional photographers work on color calibrated computers. If you have never calibrated your personal computer and are unfamiliar with what that means it basically means that we have set our computers to make sure it isn’t too light, dark, green red, warm (yellow), or cool (blue). Then as a professional, I hand edit each photo to make sure that the color balance of that image is perfect. I want to create a work of art, not just another photo. After all that work the last thing I want is for you to get get a cheap print that makes your skin look too grey, green, yellow or blue. Unfortunately, these cheaper printing labs can be hit and miss with color and often are not true in color to the original edit. The person printing your images is often not a professional photographer or printer and does not have a trained eye. They also typically have little control over the machine they are printing from beyond loading it with new paper when it runs out.
Professional photo lab employees are trained to color correct images that do not match the edited image that they receive. And when you order through me you have an extra line of defense from discolored images since I check each image before delivering it to my clients.
2. Images that last
These consumer labs are also not focused on images that last a long time. They print the snapshots from your phone and your 10-year-olds camera and their focus is to do this for you at the lowest cost possible NOT on printing photos that you can hand down for generations. Their images often fade or become discolored after a few short years.
Professional quality print labs such as the ones that I order through for my clients are focused on a product that is high quality and lasts. From matted prints to canvas wraps to wood prints all of the products I offer come from a professional heirloom/museum quality lab that uses only the best products such as professional-grade paper, ink, and printers to create your finished images.
When you invest in images through me I can ensure that you receive a product that will last longer and look better hanging in your home. You will still receive the digital files for sharing online, creating fun photo gifts or cards, and even making additional prints to send out to your family, but, you will also have high-quality images that I know you will love!
If you have more questions about a session with me I would love to chat! Contact me or set up a time to chat about your session.
3 reasons professional photoshoot makeup is essential {Denver photographer}
All of my photoshoots include hair and makeup if mom is going to be part of the shoot and there is a good reason for this. When planning a photoshoot as a busy mom the last thing on your mind is likely your hair and makeup for the day. As a professional photographer for 13 years, I found that often this was something my clients rushed to do at the last second the day of the shoot, often resulting in them not loving the way they looked in their family photos. Professional photography is an investment of both your time and money and when you look at the end result you should LOVE it! As I considered how I can best serve my clients and deliver a product that they will love, adding hair and makeup to my packages was a no-brainer. Here are my top 3 reasons why I believe that professional hair and makeup are a must for your photoshoot.
1. Having your hair and makeup professionally done will help you look and feel your best!
One of the biggest differences I have seen with my clients since I added professional hair and makeup was how relaxed they are when they arrive for their session. I always schedule your artist to arrive with more than enough time to complete your hair and makeup and leave plenty of time for you and your family to get dressed and travel to the session which means instead of moms rushing at the last minute to get themselves ready or worse doing their makeup in the car on the way (I saw this more times than I can count), they are ready with plenty of time to help the rest of the family get dressed, and arrive on time relaxed and looking amazing. Not only are my clients feeling more confident knowing that their hair and makeup look amazing but they are also more relaxed after getting to sit and be pampered before their shoot.
2. Makeup appears different in person than it does on camera
The makeup artists that I work with do makeup specifically for photography on a regular basis. They know the best products to use and how to apply them in a way that will show up best on camera, not look shinny when my flash hits them and flatter your specific coloring. They know what products to use to prep your face for oily or dry skin to reduce shine or flaking and they use high-quality products and know how much to apply to look best on camera.
3. Professional hair and makeup last longer
I have shot photo sessions with everything from snow falling around us to 90+ degrees even at 7:30 in the evening, and often when mom did her own makeup it quickly starts to look shiny or dull even without these extreme conditions. In addition, hair gets frizzy quickly at both extremes. Professional makeup is designed to last longer and reduce shine. Professional hair products reduce frizz and help keep your hair in place without making it stiff. Providing my clients with professional hair and makeup has cut down my editing time since I no longer have to edit shinny faces and flyaway hairs. This has allowed me to reduce the time it takes between your shoot date and your selection appointment and in the end, gets you your printed portraits up to 2 weeks quicker than when I had to spend my time hand-editing hair and makeup.
A few tips
Know what you want. Do you want a more natural look? Do you want something bold? Have an idea of the overall style before your artist arrives to make sure you will love the end look.
Communicate with your artist. Tell them they look you are going for and any preferences you have for colors. If possible show them what you will be wearing (if you are borrowing gowns from me I will send them pictures prior to the shoot). These ladies are amazing at taking your ideas and making you look amazing!
If there is anything you don’t love speak up. I have never had a mom not love her makeup but if there is something you do not love please tell your artist. They want you to love the end look as much as I do!
Moms with little ones, arrange for someone to watch your kids while you have your hair and makeup done.
Relax and enjoy. This is your time to be pampered!
Book a free no-obligation consultation now to discuss your shoot! I’ll answer all of your questions about a shoot with me and help you plan portraits that you will LOVE!
Alderfer/Three Sisters Park {Evergreen Colorado Photography}
Evergreen is an amazing place for portraits, less than an hour from Denver with all the beautiful mountain views it is the perfect place to plan your next photo shoot! Alderfer/Three sisters park offers beautiful mountain views, shady forested areas with evergreen trees for all year color and a beautiful barn!
Alderfer/Three sisters park
Evergreen is an amazing place for portraits, less than an hour from Denver with all the beautiful mountain views it is the perfect place to plan your next photo shoot! Alderfer/Three sisters park offers beautiful mountain views, shady forested areas with evergreen trees for all year color and a beautiful barn!
Best time of year for this location:
This mountain location Is beautiful all year round and was easy to access even in the winter. The mountain views, evergreen trees, and barn make it a perfect winter location when most trees in the Denver area are dead.
Best time of day for this location:
I book sessions at this location for 2 hours before Denver’s sunset time since the mountains block the sun a little earlier and this allows time to use both areas of the park. We will start in the shady forested area and then move to the more open views of the mountains and barn.
Parking:
There are 2 parking lots for this location located a few minutes drive apart. During your consultation, we will discuss the best place to start your shoot and we will likely move from one lot to the other partway through the shoot.
Family friendliness:
This is a great spot for family sessions with many beautiful spots close to the parking lots and no dangerous cliffs in this area.
I would love to help you plan your session with a free no-obligation consultation. I will answer all of your questions about sessions and wall art and help you plan the session of your dreams. To schedule your consultation click “contact me” below.
More images from the location.
10 tips for your cake smash! {Northglenn Baby Photographer}
Nothing is cuter than a baby covered in food, especially if that food is a Birthday cake! Cake smash sessions have become a huge tradition for first birthdays but they can take a lot of planning. I plan these sessions with my clients at the consultation call to make your session easy and so that everything is planned before you even put down your session fee so you can book in confidence. So here are 10 tips that I use to plan beautiful cake smash sessions for my clients.
Nothing is cuter than a baby covered in food, especially if that food is a Birthday cake! Cake smash sessions have become a huge tradition for first birthdays but they can take a lot of planning. I plan these sessions with my clients at the consultation call to make your session easy and so that everything is planned before you even put down your session fee so you can book in confidence. Even though I walk my clients through every step of these sessions I wanted to take this opportunity to give you a sneak peek into the process and the quality you will get doing your cake smash session with me. So here are 10 tips that I use to plan beautiful cake smash sessions for my clients.
1. Get your cake from a professional baker.
And when I say professional I don’t mean your local grocery store. There are 2 things that are VERY important when it come to the cake. #1 that it is not placed on plastic packaging that cannot be removed. There is nothing uglier than having a plastic bottom below your cake in an otherwise beautifully styled cake smash session. #2 The decorations need to be on the side. I remember early in my career there were several times when my clients provided the cake and it was plain white on the side which is all you see in at least 70% of cake smash images. Unless I shot all the photos from above you never saw the decor. This is why I have partnered with Cherry on top Bakery to provide the cakes for your session included in your session fee. She will custom design a beautiful cake to match the decor we have planned for your session.
2. Choose a theme
No, you don’t have to go all out with Elmo or Moana, but your session needs some kind of theme to give it a cohesive look. Your theme can be as simple as “pink and gold” or “nature-inspired” or more complicated like “unicorns” or “airplanes” but either way have a theme. Most moms will choose the theme of their babies party for the cake smash as well so if you are not sure that might be a great place to start. If you are not sure I will help you choose one during your consultation.
3. Choose a great location
The thing you want to consider is indoor or outdoor. Both have their advantage and disadvantage and in winter one is obviously going to be a better choice. For indoor, I can come to your home or you can come to mine. I will need a well-lit space with plenty of room and hardwood floors are best. For outdoor sessions, while I typically love locations with tall grass but for a cake smash, these locations don’t work well. During your consultation, we will discuss the best locations for a cake smash.
4. Give your baby cake before the session
The babies that really smash into their cake have had cake at least once before. even if it is just a tiny piece the week before I recommend letting them have cake before the smash.
5. Plan a minimum of 90 minutes
On average I spend about 90 minutes for setup, shooting, and clean up for a cake smash session. This includes about 45 minutes of shooting traditional portraits (No cake) 15-20 minutes shooting the cake smash and time to set up and clean up the session. Expect to spend a minimum of 90 minutes getting these images.
6. Don’t shoot your cake smash at their birthday party
I prefer cake smashes to be a separate session so we can just focus on amazing images of your child. Every once in awhile I am asked to come to shoot cake smash images at a child’s birthday party. I am going, to be honest, this is not ideal. There are too many people, too many distractions, rarely enough room for me to move, and get the angles I would like and I have little control over the setting and lighting. It’s best to plan a separate cake smash session and then another cake for the day of their party.
7. Ditch the high chair
Should you decide not to do a separate cake smash session and have them done at your child’s party, please ditch the high chair. Those high chair decoration kits from Etsy really don’t make the high chair less ugly. The best sessions are ones where the baby is sitting on the ground surrounded by the decorations with the cake In front of them. Choose a well-lit area that has plenty of space around it to set up.
8. Don’t rush baby
Cake smash images are deceiving, it always looks like the baby sat down and smashed up a cake in about 2-3 minutes. It normally takes most babies 10 minutes to even start to get messy. Don’t worry that is normal, let them take their time.
9. Come prepared for a mess
Don’t forget to pack a change of clothes, baby wipes, a wet washcloth in a ziplock bag, a towel to dry the baby off. Seriously they are going to get messy, bring all of the things.
10. Have fun with it
These photos aren’t about the perfect posed portrait, your baby is going to sit and eat the cake gingerly, barely look up, maybe cry, hopefully, get messy and eventually try to wander off. Don’t stress it, these are all about capturing something real. Sometimes baby dumps the cake and plays in it and sometimes they eat it gingerly with 2 fingers the whole time like a little prince or princess. Both are adorable and show their personality and either way, the portrait is going to be adorable hanging in your home! Let them be themselves and just enjoy the process along the way.
Sign up to join the birthday club and your child will get a free Monday Milestone session during their birthday month OR $100 off a cake smash session!
Sandstone Ranch {Longmont Family Photographer}
I am always in search of new locations to use in order to offer my regular clients who book year after year the best variety of locations. Last week I checked out a new location with one of my favorite clients and it did not disappoint!
Sandstone Ranch
I am always in search of new locations to use in order to offer my regular clients who book year after year the best variety of locations. Last week I checked out a new location with one of my favorite clients and it did not disappoint!
Best time of year for this location:
Most of this location’s best features like the barn, ponds, bridge, old buildings, rock formations, and mountain views will not change much from season to season making this a great location any time of year! I first used this location in the fall so it had the added beauty of the fall leaves however this location has so much going for it it would be beautiful even in the dead of winter.
Best time of day for this location:
I always recommend sunset to my clients for the best light however this location do have the barn and some trees that would provide shade earlier in the day so it could be used other times if needed.
Parking:
There is a small parking lot near the barn where I will meet clients at this location however it can fill up quickly so if needed there is a larger parking lot just up the hill that can be used.
Family friendliness:
This is a great spot for family sessions, with open fields it is a safe fun place for kids to roam. There is also the added benefit of a playground at the other end of the park, easy to get to after the session but out of sight while we are taking photos!
More images of the location!
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How to display your family photos: Story boxes {Denver family photographer}
Updated August 2020 to include information on new sizes!
Do you remember those old photo albums with the sticky sheets inside that you just stuck your photos to? For anyone who has no idea what I am talking about you bought them at the store empty and each page was similar to a thick card stock covered in a stick material and then a clear sheet of plastic. You pulled back the plastic and stuck your photo to the sticky part and then stuck the plastic back over. They were great until your images started to fade from the acid in the paper and glue and then permanently stuck to the goo…
I recently heard my Storyboxes described as a modern-day album, it’s not a bad description. Like those sticky albums or the sleeve albums that were also popular you can easily switch out the images in the box however unlike those, the Story box protects your images instead of ruining them.
I recently heard my Storyboxes described as a modern-day album
I love these because they are the perfect way to display your images without running out of wall space!
They are an 8x10 sized box with a beautiful oatmeal-colored cloth cover and the option to emboss the front with your family name, your child's name, and birth-date, special dates such as the date of a religious milestone, the date of the session or any other writing you would like. They have a black interior and they feature a black ribbon to help you easily remove images from the box.
These come in 3 sizes, 10 print with 10 matching digital images, 20 print with 20 matching digital images or 30 print with your full set of digitals. All printed images are matted 5x7 prints in 8x10 mats that you can display in the box full time or take out and frame!
Ready to get more information on a session with me, fill out the form below to get instant access to my session planning guide including pricing on this and other beautiful ways to display your photos.
Davidson Mesa, Louisville {Colorado family photographer}
Davidson Mesa
Davidson Mesa is a beautiful location with a mountain view in Louisville Colorado. It's a great spot of family, maternity and kids sessions.
Best time of year for this location:
While this location is great any time of year because of it's mountain views, I really love this location for winter shoots. The tall brown grass and snow-covered mountains make it a beautiful spot during the winter when everything else looks dull and dead.
Best time of day for this location:
I only shoot at this location at sunset because of the lack of shade and because it's beauty is the mountain view. Sessions earlier in the day would put the sun in your eyes resulting in squinty unevenly light portraits.
Parking:
Parking at this location is very limited. The lot next to the park is often full however just on the other side of the road is a lake with additional parking and a path that goes under the road.
Ready to book your session at this location or just want to get more information about my sessions? Fill out the form below to get instant access to my session planning and pricing guide.
Five tips for an amazing maternity session {Northglenn Maternity Photographer}
Congratulations on your pregnancy! If you are considering having maternity portraits taken you may be feeling overwhelmed by the thought of planning a shoot. Here are my top 5 tips for planning an amazing maternity shoot.
1. Choosing your photographer
Quality
When choosing your photographer you will want to take a look at their work as a whole. Check out the images on their website and social media to get a more complete look at their work. Watch for focus issues, look at posing and the overall quality of the images you are seeing. Also look at how long the photographer has been in business, while this isn't always an indication of quality an experienced photographer is more likely to deliver quality images than someone who just started.
Style
After quality, the most important part of choosing your photographer is their style. This is true with any type of session you are trying to book but here are a few things to consider when looking for a maternity photographer. First, the type of photos they take, do they specialize in maternity photography? If you are including your husband and other children in the shoot you will want someone that also specializes in family portraits as well. Next what type of maternity photography do they shoot. If you have your heart set on maternity portraits in a mountain setting, or standing in a stream you are not going to want to hire a photographer that specializes in studio maternity or boudoir style maternity and Visa-Versa. Make sure that they offer or better yet specialize in the type of photos you would like taken. Last look at their editing style, do they edit true to color? Light and bright? Dark and moody? If you don't love the edits you will want to find someone who’s editing style you do love.
Service
Different photographers offer different levels of service. Chances are if you are looking at a photographer in the lower price range (anything below $300 typically) their service is just going to include the basics. In some cases, for maternity sessions, basic packages may be mom only so if you want to include other family members make sure to check with your photographer on who is included in the sessions. They will probably help you find a location, although not always, and they should include some basic editing but not many bells and whistles.
High end and full-service photographers often include services like gowns and accessories to borrow for your shoot, help coordinating clothing for other family members, more extensive knowledge of session locations, hair and makeup artists included or as an add-on, gallery design and printing, delivery of your products after the shoot and in some cases even services to install your portraits for you so you don’t have to hang them yourself. Think about the level of service you are hoping for from your photographer and check with them to see what services they offer.
One more thing to look at when it comes to service is the type of sessions your photographer offers. While its great to choose someone who specializes (and in my opinion you should) you may want to continue to use the same photographer through your babies first year or even as your family continues to grow. Some photographer’s specialties may be so narrow that they only offer Maternity/Newborn, so check to see if they offer first year packages or photography beyond those first few weeks.
Products
Print: The last thing that you want to look at is what your photographer offers. If you don’t want to have to figure out photo labs printing and sizing on your own or you want higher quality products than you can purchase at your local or online consumer lab (most professional quality labs offer their products to professional photographers only) you will want to look for a photographer that offers those services. Take a careful look at the types of products that they offer. A good photographer should offer a variety of high-quality products, in-person guidance when ordering so you know exactly what you are ordering, and a full price list BEFORE your session so there are no surprises on cost when you sit down with them to place your order.
Digital: If you are hoping for digital files as well a few questions you may want to ask your photographer is if they offer them, are they included in their print collections or only sold separately, do they offer them free or discounted with large print purchases, and do you get all of the edited digitals or only those that you purchased prints for. Most photographers will not offer every photo taken for the simple reason that no one wants to pay someone for the photos that someone blinked, were out of focus, bad lighting or just otherwise unusable and no matter how experienced your photographer is there are always a few of these in the bunch. A true professional will only deliver quality images to their clients.
Before we move on….
I am sure you are wondering what of these styles, services, and products I offer. Here is a quick rundown for you.
I have been a professional photographer since 2007 and in business for myself since 2010 and have photographer maternity, newborns and families my entire career. My maternity style is outdoor in beautiful natural settings and I love bright, colorful and mostly true to natural color edits, although I tone down my greens slightly in editing. My sessions can include the whole family or just mom depending on your preference. I offer both individual maternity and newborn sessions or premium memberships that will give you discounted sessions every 3 months for your baby’s first year and beyond. I am full service so I include gowns from my collection as well as matching floral crowns and some jewelry for your session, I offer children’s clothing as well so I may have coordinating options in your child’s size. I will help you find the right clothing for dad as well if he is participating in the session. I have tons of favorite locations I can recommend and I am always scouting out new spots to use to give you the best options. I shoot all of the Denver and Boulder metro areas so I can offer a great variety of looks for sessions. I also offer hair and make-up as an add on to your session and I will arrange for your hair and makeup artist to come to you. I offer both high-quality wall art prints and digitals, my collections include both and I also give free digital if you hit a certain print order. You always get all edited files with my digital collections. You can download my full pricing list by filling out the form at the bottom of this blog post, the list also includes more information on my sessions and the products that I offer! You can see samples of my work both here on my webpage or by visiting www.facebook.com/truthphotographyllc or www.instagram.com/truthphotollc
2. Know when to book
For single babies
In most cases, you will want to shoot your maternity session between 30-36 weeks. This is early enough in the pregnancy that you will not feel huge and uncomfortable and also will not be at high risk for going into labor during your session, but late enough you should have a beautiful baby bump by this point. Since photographers can often book several months in advance, especially during the busy season, I recommend booking early to be sure to get a spot. I take maternity booking starting around 20 weeks.
For twins or multiples
If you are pregnant with multiples make sure to let your photographer know and plan the session a little earlier. With multiples, you are more likely to have your babies before your due date and you will also get to that uncomfortable stage of pregnancy a lot sooner so I would aim for between 26-30 weeks for your session.
High Risk
If you are at risk for premature labor this is another reason to book early to make sure you are able to get your portraits before the baby arrives. I can shoot a maternity shoot anytime after you are clearly showing if you are worried about waiting too long.
Make sure to talk to your doctor, while I believe you should get maternity portraits done if possible, it is not worth risking your baby’s life or health if you have been placed on bed rest. As long as your doctor clears it we can plan a session with minimal walking for you.
3. Style Your Session
For mom
How you look for the session is one of the most important aspects. I love doing sessions with gowns because they make mama look and feel amazing. I offer a variety of gowns to use for your session, you can choose one, or more than one if you would like multiple looks. You may also do some in one of my gowns and then some in more casual clothing. If you don’t see a gown you love in my collection make sure to ask about my option to order one for you. In many cases, I am able to order a custom gown in your size in time for your session.
Coordinating the family
For any session, I always recommend coordinating the family’s clothing colors NOT matching it. This is even more important for a maternity session since you want your baby bump to stick out, not blend in. What I recommend is choosing at least two colors and having everyone where a mixture of the two. more about this in the section below about accessories.
Accessories
Don’t forget accessories when styling your session, the perfect accessories will complete the look of your session and, for family maternity shoots, help coordinate the look of the family unit.
One of the things I offer for my clients is custom made floral crowns. I have a variety pre-made for your session but I can also make custom creations that tie in the colors that your family is wearing like I did for this couples session last year. She chose this gorgeous purple gown from my collection and we decided we wanted a bold color on him as well so we chose this red and I made the red and purple crown she is wearing specifically to match both of their clothing.
You can also use items like jewelry, nail polish, sweaters, belts, ties, and bowties to help coordinate colors and complete the look.
4. Choose a location
Look at maternity photos you love
The easiest way to choose an amazing location is to take a look at other portraits and note locations that you love. What features do these locations have in common? Are they all in the mountains? By water? In tall grass? While searching google or Pinterest to see what stands out is helpful it’s even better to check out your photographer’s website, Facebook or blog, then when you find a location you love you can simply ask them where it was. If you don’t see exactly what you are hoping for trying telling them what type of location you have your heart set on and asking for recommendations.
5. Pamper yourself
Rest
Make sure to get plenty of rest during the days before your session, the last thing you want is to look tired and worn in your portraits. Pregnancy can be exhausting so go to bed a little early the night before and allow yourself a little more rest.
Hair and Makeup
As mentioned above I offer the option to add a hair and makeup artist onto your session fee. I highly recommend having a professional do your hair and makeup, after all, you are paying for professional-quality portraits and products so why wouldn’t you make sure to look your very best. If you book them through me I will schedule them to come to your home around an hour before you need to leave for the session. If you have a regular stylist you use just make sure to contact them as soon as you book your session to make sure they are available that day.
Nails
Having your nails done is often overlooked but it’s so important especially for maternity sessions. Your hands are going to be on your belly where the focus of a maternity portrait is and you want to make sure they look great. Make sure to have dad and anyone else in the session clean and trim their nails before the session as well.
I hope this helps with planning your maternity shoot. If you would like to set up a session, or just want more information please fill out the form below to download my session planning guide with more information on my sessions, ordering your printed images, gifts, and digital files and a full pricing list
Flagstaff Mountain, Boulder {Boulder photoshoot locations}
Flagstaff mountain is a beautiful location for portraits with its evergreen trees and mountain views. The mountain has a variety of small parks all along the road and some are better than others for shoots with smaller children so please make sure to let me know how old your children are when booking this location so I can recommend the best spot.
Best time of year for this location:
This location is beautiful all year-round and can be a great place if you are looking for some color for a winter session however if you choose this location for winter please make sure you have proper snow tires and are comfortable driving on snow-packed mountain roads if necessary.
Best time of day for this location:
This location can be a bit bright if you schedule for too early in the day so I always schedule here for the session to end around 10 minutes after sunset. those few minutes after the sun goes down are gorgeous here.
Parking:
This location does require you to pay cash for parking so make sure to bring a $5 bill along to pay the parking fees. Lots also fill up quickly on warm weekend days so make sure to arrive early to get a spot.
Other info for this location:
This location does require me to purchase a permit for commercial photography. I have included these costs in my session fee so it is no additional cost to you however I do need a 1-week notice to purchase the permit before the session so please plan ahead.
Ready to book a session at this location or just get more information? Fill out the form below for instant access to my session guide and I will contact you to answer any questions you have or help you reserve your session time.