Newborn portrait art | Arvada Colorado Newborn photographer
4 tips for creating the perfect newborn portrait display
4 tips for creating the perfect newborn portrait display
1. “Match the couch”
One of my favorite portrait art mentors tells her students to have your clients “dress to match the couch”. Why? Because it guarantees that your images are going to look amazing hanging above your couch. In the case of newborn portraits this advice isn’t always as simple. First many people want to hang the newborn portraits in the baby’s room, so maybe this looks more like “dress to match the crib”, or maybe you would like to hang the images in more than one location, for example baby alone in babies room, family portraits with your new baby over the couch and a few images in your bedroom. With newborn portraits there is an easy way to make this work, during our consultation we will talk over the places you would like to hang your images and the colors in that room. Mom, dad and any siblings can dress to match the living room colors, and then I can choose outfits and wraps for baby’ solo portraits to match the colors in the other two rooms. This way the images fit seamlessly into each space as if they were designed for it, because they were!
2. Choose a wall art style or frame that matches the look of your home
As much as I love the look of my heritage wood prints, if you have a very modern style of home they are not going to look right in your space. On the other hand if your design style is country farmhouse, a sleek metal framed print is not going to be the best fit for your home. When I sit down with my clients to design their art I take all of this into consideration, I show my clients the options and then I suggest the style I believe will look best with their current décor. For those clients that don’t really have a design style yet I’ll help you choose your favorite option and it may be the perfect base to help you create a look in your home that you love!
3. Choose nontraditional shapes
If your wall art is all feeling boring and the same this might be a great way to mix it up a little. I offer many traditional sizes like 16x24, 30x40 and 40x60 however I also offer square, round and long and narrow images. I will typically design a sample set for each client with more traditional sizes and one with a more unique layout to help you choose which option is more your style. Below you can see several mock ups with both traditional and nontraditional shapes as well as samples with a mixture of both. These are all real samples that I presented to my clients.
4. Consider one large image
I love creating art sets with a variety of sizes and shapes, but sometimes what you really need is one statement piece. Especially in a larger room where smaller images are harder to see from the other side of the room, a larger image is more appropriate. So how do you know how large of an image to choose? One thing to consider is the size of the piece of furniture you will be hanging it over, the image should be 50-75% smaller than the furniture. Another thing to keep in mind is the size of the room, just like choosing TV sizes the further you will be sitting or standing from the image, the larger it needs to be. If wouldn’t put a 20 inch tv in your living room so an 8x10 or 11x14 print is also going to be too small to see clearly and make the statement you are looking for in this larger space.
If you are ready to schedule your newborn session and have custom art created for your home I would love to schedule a call to talk with you. Click the button below to start the process and learn more about my sessions.
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
Why newborn portraits are the most important photos {Thornton Newborn Photographer}
I am going to say something controversial here, Newborn portraits are more important than wedding photos. Ok, I know that some of you will disagree but, let me tell you why I believe this.
I am going to say something controversial here, Newborn portraits are more important than wedding photos. Ok, I know that some of you will disagree but, let me tell you why I believe this.
The day we got married was not the most important day in our lives.
I was a wedding photographer for about 5 years. People spend thousands of dollars on their wedding photos to have gorgeous photos and professional quality prints of “the biggest day of their life” created. I photographed some amazing couples that I really loved. But I have watched many of these couples start families and some of them get divorced.
I love my husband and even after almost 12 years of marriage, I want to stay with him forever. But honestly, the day we got married was not the most important day in our lives, the day each of our children was born was. Our love started as just the two of us and has grown with each child to make us who we are today. Each baby has increased our capacity to love and made our family more complete. No matter what happens in our future the newborn portraits of each of my children will always hang in my home.
Each baby has increased our capacity to love and made our family more complete.
As my children grow I trade out many of the photos on my walls for updated images of them, but my newborn photos never get taken down. These are the first image of my babies and I never get tired of seeing them hanging in my home. I invested in high-quality products for these photos like canvasses and wood prints instead of the less expensive traditional prints I use for photos that I know will be switched out in a year or so. For me, the investment was worth every penny.
I want to create a work of art for every client I work with and for me, that does not stop with a perfectly edited digital file.
I want your printed photo to be a high-quality piece of art that you can pass down to your great-grandchildren. Before for say “but I want the digital file to share online and make more prints to send to my family” don’t worry, all of my printed images come with a matching digital file and most of my clients ordering canvas or wood print sets are eligible to receive a full set of digital files with their order.
I would love to create art for your family! If you have questions I would love to answer them during a video consultation. You can set that up or email me directly at the link 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!
My favorite images of 2020 {Northglenn, CO photographer}
With fewer than usual shoots in 2020, I thought doing a favorite image of 2020 post would be easy. But, as I look back through the images taken this year I realize choosing favorites is like trying to choose a favorite child. But, I have already started this post and so I am committing. Here are some of my favorite images taken in 2020, separated by category.
With fewer than usual shoots in 2020, I thought doing a favorite image of 2020 post would be easy. But, as I look back through the images taken this year I realize choosing favorites is like trying to choose a favorite child. But, I have already started this post and so I am committing. Here are some of my favorite images taken in 2020, separated by category.
Favorite Maternity photos
Newborn Images
Family Portraits
Couples
Kids Portraits
Headshots
I wanted to take this moment to say THANK YOU to all of the amazing clients who supported my business in 2020. This year was not at all what we expected, and you trusted me in the middle of all of this to capture portraits of you and your family and that means the world to me! I look forward to many more shoots in 2021 and beyond!
Interested in more information about a session with me? Click the contact me button to book a free consolation call!
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.
A peek into your selection appointment {Colorado Mountain Family Photographer}
First you may be asking, “what is a selection appointment?” The selection appointment happens around two weeks after your session once I have edited all the best images from your session. I will come to your home and help you “select” the images you want to hang in your home and then the products you want to use to display them. Today I want to go through what the selection appointment looks like so you know what to expect when I arrive for yours!
I started to write this blog post almost a month ago now. I had it “fully finished” and just needed to add images and schedule it to publish. Then as if she knew I needed to know what clients were thinking when going into their selection appointment, I had a client ask if the selection appointment was required. I explained yes I require them since it is too difficult to put your order together via emails back and forth and doing the selection appointment is actually less work for me. Then she explained why she was concerned about meeting for her image selection.
The last session they had had with a photographer had gone great, but the appointment with him after did not go so well. After discussing it with her for a while I realized what had really gone so wrong is they had gone into with no idea what to expect. Their photographer hadn’t really given them any information on what would happen at the meeting or what prices for their products looked like. In addition, their photographer had used a common “this is the only time you can buy these” tactic that is honestly meant to scare clients into buying more so they don’t “lose the images”.
I take a totally different approach to my appointments. My job at the selection appointment isn’t to scare you into buying your images now. I actually want to go into this meeting having already discussed with you what you are hoping to purchase from the session based on your needs and budget. My job at these meetings is to simply help you choose the best images for the products you have selected and make sure you LOVE the finished art! So that said let’s take a look at the process from start to finish so you know exactly what to expect from your appointment.
First, you may be asking, “what is a selection appointment?” The selection appointment happens around two weeks after your session once I have edited all the best images from your session. I will come to your home and help you “select” the images you want to hang in your home and then the products you want to use to display them. Today I want to go through what the selection appointment looks like so you know what to expect when I arrive for yours!
Viewing the images
The first thing that I will do for your selection appointment is to show you all of the edited images as a slide show. Because I use an online program to show your images, I will first need to log into your wifi so make sure to have your login information handy.
After I am logged in I will show you all of the images in a slideshow format. Just sit back, enjoy the show and maybe make a mental note of any favorites.
Narrowing down the images
Next, I’ll help you narrow down the images for your wall art. We will go through the images one by one and I’ll have you tell me if it’s a favorite or not. If you are thinking “but I love them all” no problem, if you are purchasing a wall art set or Storybox valued at $1,000 or more you will receive all the images shown as digital files. If you choose to just get a few images you will receive matching digital files for all images selected.
Creating your wall art
By this point, you should have had several opportunities to view my session planning guide that shows all of my products and the pricing. Hopefully, you have a good idea of what wall art you are interested in before we meet so we can focus on putting your favorite images on those products. I will take this time to show you what the images would look like on those products on the wall. We can play with different images and layouts in the designer until we find the perfect wall art to fit your home.
Ordering your products
After we have wall art selected and any additional gift items you need I will submit your order for you. The payment for all collections or a la carte items is due at your selection meeting. After your products are ordered your digital files will be delivered via an online gallery within one week and you can download them from there, your printed products normally take around 2 weeks but can take up to 4 weeks to arrive and I will personally deliver them to your home when they arrive.
Watch me create a gallery on IGTV https://www.instagram.com/tv/By3uiowFfl1/
If you are interested in learning more I would love to set up a consultation with you via video chat. We will discuss all of the details of your session, the selection appointment, pricing and more so you are comfortable with the whole process before you book. Fill out the form below to set up a consultation!
Gross Reservoir Maternity Session {Colorado Mountain Family Photographer}
Shortly after I first posted a session at this location last fall one of my favorite families asked about the location and told me they would like to do a session up there this spring or summer. When I saw them in December for their daughter’s Christmas photos, they told me there would be a change of plans, the family session we were planning for this location would be a maternity session since they were expecting their second child!
Even after 10 years as a Colorado photographer I am always scouting out new and better locations for sessions. I actually spent my morning today checking out a few spots! Shortly after I first posted a session at this location last fall one of my favorite families asked about the location and told me they would like to do a session up there this spring or summer. When I saw them in December for their daughter’s Christmas photos, they told me there would be a change of plans, the family session we were planning for this location would be a maternity session since they were expecting their second child!
This locations is so perfect for Maternity photos and photos for families with young children. It has gorgeous views and you don’t have to walk far from the car to find the perfect spot. It was so perfect for this family who loves to be outdoors!
We already had the location chosen, that was the easy part, so the next thing was to decide what they would wear. I ordered this beautiful gown from my favorite maternity shop Sew Trendy (Fellow photographers can click for my affiliate link and a discount, if you are my client contact me before ordering anything, I have dresses available for use for my clients!) and gave Jennifer (yup this beautiful mama’s name is Jennifer too, I find that most Jennifer’s are pretty cool lol) the option of a few colors for the gown. I am so glad she chose this beautiful plum color, its is so perfect in this beautiful mountain setting. Her daughter’s dress is one from my children’s wardrobe collection and paired perfectly with the maternity gown and the shirt we found for her husband. Before the session I dropped by their home to let her try own the gown and custom crowns I made to match and to help her choose her husbands clothing for the session.
I love putting together the perfect look for my clients from location, to clothing to creating the perfect photos and products for them. I am excited to have another session coming up in this dress with a completely different look. Make sure to watch my Facebook Page for photos from that session.
Jennifer and Patrick’s sweet daughter Ember just thought the train on moms dress was a blanket to sit on. She loved to sit on it and play with it during the session!
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Why choose an outdoor newborn session {Denver Outdoor newborn Photographer}
There is something about having a sweet new life surrounded by the beauty and majesty of nature that really inspires me. It is almost like taking a newborn on their first little adventure, here are a few reasons you may want to choose them for your summer baby:
Outdoor newborn sessions are by far my favorite sessions for newborns. There is something about having a sweet new life surrounded by the beauty and majesty of nature that really inspires me. It is almost like taking a newborn on their first little adventure, here are a few reasons you may want to choose them for your summer baby:
Raise a nature lover
If you are like me and love nature and the outdoors, an indoor session may just not fit your style. Chances are too that your baby will love the outdoors as much as you do so this is a great way to introduce that love of nature to them, after all, they will be looking at these portraits for the rest of their lives.
To match your nature-inspired nursery
If your nursery is somehow nature-inspired, decorated with animals, butterfly’s or bugs, trees or anything else nature inspired what better way to finish the look than by hanging a beautiful canvas of your baby in nature in the room (and maybe even one of you pregnant with them!). I love to tie the nursery colors and themes into my newborn portraits so make sure to tell me if you have a nursery theme when you book.
You want something unique
Although outdoor newborn sessions have gained popularity in recent years the majority of parents still choose to do studio or in-home newborn sessions and only a few photographers in the area even offer the option of an outdoor session. If you love having something unique and want portraits that will be different from the newborn portraits your friends and family took with their baby these might be perfect for you!
A little more about outdoor newborn portraits: I can schedule outdoor sessions for newborns from May to September however I always have a backup plan to move the session to an indoor location if needed due to weather or the health of the baby or in most cases can offer a weather reschedule if you have your heart set on outdoor but the weather does not cooperate. Because of the time these sessions take (typically 2 hours) they are always scheduled for two hours before sunset and I cannot schedule them for locations without shade. I do not like to have the babies in the sun that long and the lighting can be too harsh at the beginning of the session for great portraits so shade is a must. If you want to learn more about these sessions and reserve your spot for this summer please visit www.truth-photography.com/contactme
Don’t miss a thing: Receive twice a month emails from me with exclusive monthly product specials available only to my insiders, previews of upcoming session deals, fun local events or ideas for kids activities and more as part of my insider’s club. Sign up below.