Westminster Colorado Social Distancing Maternity Session

There is such a short window of time in which maternity portraits can be taken. For moms due during these crazy times many have missed out. I was so glad we were able to get these taken for Desi before everything shut down in March!

We almost didn’t get these, they were taken just days before the stay at home orders were put in place. We wound up moving their session up a few days at the last minute and I am so glad we did! Her boyfriend, Brian was so great during this session helping with arranging her dress and fixing her hair so I could keep a safe 6ft or more distance from them. He even was willing to attempt the dress toss for us so we could get that flowing dress image and he did a really great job at it!

I am now taking limited sessions again and would love to set up a social distancing maternity session for you! Dresses are still available to borrow and will be washed and sanitized and in most cases dropped off on your porch before the session.

My name is Jennifer Tavera, owner, photographer and gallery designer for Truth Photography LLC. I have created beautiful custom portraiture for my clients here in the Denver and Boulder Colorado areas for the past 13 years! I specialize in growing families including children, maternity, and newborn. I love what I do and I cannot wait to share my passion with all of you.

As a busy mom myself, I understand that you need a photographer who will go the extra mile to help you with every aspect of creating cherished imagery of your family.

I would love to become YOUR family photographer and can't wait for us to get to know each other better!

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.

My name is Jennifer Tavera, owner, photographer and gallery designer for Truth Photography LLC. I have created beautiful custom portraiture for my clients here in the Denver and Boulder Colorado areas for the past 12 years! I specialize in growing families including children, maternity, and newborn. I love what I do and I cannot wait to share my passion with all of you.

As a busy mom myself, I understand that you need a photographer who will go the extra mile to help you with every aspect of creating cherished imagery of your family.

I would love to become YOUR family photographer and can't wait for us to get to know each other better!

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.

My name is Jennifer Tavera, owner, photographer and gallery designer for Truth Photography LLC. I have created beautiful custom portraiture for my clients here in the Denver and Boulder Colorado areas for the past 12 years! I specialize in growing families including children, maternity, and newborn. I love what I do and I cannot wait to share my passion with all of you.

As a busy mom myself, I understand that you need a photographer who will go the extra mile to help you with every aspect of creating cherished imagery of your family.

I would love to become YOUR family photographer and can't wait for us to get to know each other better!

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

My name is Jennifer Tavera, owner, photographer and gallery designer for Truth Photography LLC. I have created beautiful custom portraiture for my clients here in the Denver and Boulder Colorado areas for the past 12 years! I specialize in growing families including children, maternity, and newborn. I love what I do and I cannot wait to share my passion with all of you.

As a busy mom myself, I understand that you need a photographer who will go the extra mile to help you with every aspect of creating cherished imagery of your family.

I would love to become YOUR family photographer and can't wait for us to get to know each other better!

Client Spotlight: The Martinez family, extended family session {Thornton CO Family Photographer}

I love working with repeat clients. RC first contacted me last fall in hopes of doing a shoot with the whole family then but she wasn't able to get her whole family together on one day last year so she booked a shoot with her family of six and her parents. We chose a beautiful day last fall when the colors were at their peak in the Colorado mountains. They loved their portraits and ordered canvases and gift prints for both her home and her mother’s, but RC still really wanted to get her two brothers and her sister and their families together for a shoot with the whole family!

This winter we were finally able to get the whole family together on the same day for a photo shoot. Unfortunately, the weather was freezing cold that day and so we moved the shoot, originally planned for outdoors to her home in Thornton.

When I arrived at their home she had the photos from last years session beautifully displayed in her entryway hallway. I loved seeing them displayed so proudly in her home and had to take a few photos to share.

If I gave a prize for the best-dressed family I think that they would be getting it this year, it’s hard to coordinate clothing with this many people but they did it like pros! They did great with using both solid colors and patterns mixed throughout the group as well as using accessories like bow-ties and scarves to finish the look.

I was so excited to meet back up with them to show the full session last week. Almost the whole family was there to view the photos and choose wall art for their homes. I loved to see how excited they all got to view the images and how much they loved them. While normally I only photograph families outdoors in nature, this shoot, in the end, was not about beautiful backgrounds, it was about the love between family and capturing images of them together!

I can’t wait to deliver this beautiful gallery to RC along with the photos for her parents and brothers.

If you would like to set up a session for your family 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.

My name is Jennifer Tavera, owner, photographer and gallery designer for Truth Photography LLC. I have created beautiful custom portraiture for my clients here in the Denver and Boulder Colorado areas for the past 12 years! I specialize in growing families including children, maternity, and newborn. I love what I do and I cannot wait to share my passion with all of you.

As a busy mom myself, I understand that you need a photographer who will go the extra mile to help you with every aspect of creating cherished imagery of your family.

I would love to become YOUR family photographer and can't wait for us to get to know each other better!

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.

My name is Jennifer Tavera, owner, photographer and gallery designer for Truth Photography LLC. I have created beautiful custom portraiture for my clients here in the Denver and Boulder Colorado areas for the past 12 years! I specialize in growing families including children, maternity, and newborn. I love what I do and I cannot wait to share my passion with all of you.

As a busy mom myself, I understand that you need a photographer who will go the extra mile to help you with every aspect of creating cherished imagery of your family.

I would love to become YOUR family photographer and can't wait for us to get to know each other better!

Client Spotlight:The Stone family's winter session {Boulder Family Photographer}

I had the honor of first meeting Jackie and her family just over a year ago. They found out about me through an awesome local organization called Love for Lily. Love for Lily is a support group for parents with children in the NICU and also offers grants to a few NICU families in need each year (learn more at https://www.lflnicu.org/). To raise money each year they do a fundraiser and a friend of mine who worked with the organization asked me if I would be willing to donate a session to their silent auction. The Stone family where the lucky bidders to receive the gift certificate that I donated and I have since had the honor of photographing their son twice and now the whole family!

I was so excited to finally get to photograph the whole family in November at one of my favorite spots out in Boulder and while we had hoped for warm weather for their session the little bit of lingering snow the day of their session wound up being so perfect! The old Doran barn, tall grass, mountains, and snow all worked together for the perfect look for the portraits and the colors Jackie chose for their clothing were perfect with the colors of the barn!

Their son Jackson was so excited to play in the snow and throw snowballs at his parents! Isn’t he just the cutest!! (I may have a bit of a soft spot for toddler aged boys!)

Here are some of my favorite images from their session. If you are interested in a session at this spot or any other Denver or Boulder location scroll down and fill out my contact form for more information.

Get more information on a session:

My name is Jennifer Tavera, owner, photographer and gallery designer for Truth Photography LLC. I have created beautiful custom portraiture for my clients here in the Denver and Boulder Colorado areas for the past 12 years! I specialize in growing families including children, maternity, and newborn. I love what I do and I cannot wait to share my passion with all of you.

As a busy mom myself, I understand that you need a photographer who will go the extra mile to help you with every aspect of creating cherished imagery of your family.

I would love to become YOUR family photographer and can't wait for us to get to know each other better!

Standley Lake Regional Park, Westminster Colorado {Westminster Maternity Photographer}

Standley lake is a beautiful location with the mountain views, gorgeous lake and occasional wildflowers. It is a great spot for mountain views if you are not up for a trip into the mountains. Here is a little more information about a session at this location.

Best time of year for this location:

This location is beautiful year-round however the winds here can get very chilly in the winter. If you are choosing this location for a winter shoot it is a good idea to have a backup location. Because of the open fields and lake the winds tend to be worse at this location than at other spots, but if you can catch it on a day with low winds this location is gorgeous for photos!

Best time of day for this location:

Sunset!! I know what you are thinking, that seems to be my answer for every location. Yes it is but with this location because of the lack of shade I shoot here exclusively at sunset.

Parking:

There are several spots to park around the lake to park, some paid and some free, I typically use one of the two free parking lots which are a little further from the lake but both have some great spots near the parking as well as access to the lake if we want to get closer. If you select this location we will agree on a spot to park before your session date.

Other info for this location:

On hazy of cloudy days the mountains are not always visible. If you have your heart set on a mountain backdrop I recommend getting a little closer to the mountains for better visibility however this spot does have more than the mountains going for it so either way I can capture beautiful portraits here.

Get more information on a session at this location or any of the beautiful locations in Denver, Boulder or the surrounding mountains by downloading my session planning guide! Fill out the form below for instant access to the guide!

My name is Jennifer Tavera, owner, photographer and gallery designer for Truth Photography LLC. I have created beautiful custom portraiture for my clients here in the Denver and Boulder Colorado areas for the past 13 years! I specialize in growing families including children, maternity, and newborn. I love what I do and I cannot wait to share my passion with all of you.

As a busy mom myself, I understand that you need a photographer who will go the extra mile to help you with every aspect of creating cherished imagery of your family.

I would love to become YOUR family photographer and can't wait for us to get to know each other better!

A peek into your selection appointment {Colorado Mountain Family Photographer}

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!

My name is Jennifer Tavera, owner, photographer and gallery designer for Truth Photography LLC. I have created beautiful custom portraiture for my clients here in the Denver and Boulder Colorado areas for the past 13 years! I specialize in growing families including children, maternity, and newborn. I love what I do and I cannot wait to share my passion with all of you.

As a busy mom myself, I understand that you need a photographer who will go the extra mile to help you with every aspect of creating cherished imagery of your family.

I would love to become YOUR family photographer and can't wait for us to get to know each other better!

The Old Barn, Boulder CO {Denver Photoshoot Locations}

The old barn in Boulder has been one of my most requested locations for a long time. The barn, mountains, tall grass, nearby river and sunflowers in the fall make it a beautiful location for family, children’s and maternity sessions. This is one location I would not recommend for outdoor newborn sessions.

Best time of year for this location:

This location is beautiful year-round however I do not recommend this location right after it rains or snows or any time of year that the mosquito population is high. Because of the tall grass and nearby river I have on occasion been to this location when it was wet and mushy or when the mosquitos where completely out of control. I prefer this as a fall location personally but have used it in every season!

Best time of day for this location:

Sunset!! There is little shade except right up against the barn and you can’t really use this location to get the best looks shooting other times of the day so I highly recommend an evening/sunset session for this location.

Parking:

Parking is a little complicated at this location, there really isn’t any, but there is plenty of room to park cars on the dirt shoulder off of the road.

Other info for this location:

While this location is a little more off the beaten path than most Boulder spots it can still get crowded in the fall so expect to work around other photographers and families that time of year. I highly recommend you bring bug spray just in case for this location as noted above the bugs sometimes get bad here.

Get more information about a session at this location:

My name is Jennifer Tavera, owner, photographer and gallery designer for Truth Photography LLC. I have created beautiful custom portraiture for my clients here in the Denver and Boulder Colorado areas for the past 12 years! I specialize in growing families including children, maternity, and newborn. I love what I do and I cannot wait to share my passion with all of you.

As a busy mom myself, I understand that you need a photographer who will go the extra mile to help you with every aspect of creating cherished imagery of your family.

I would love to become YOUR family photographer and can't wait for us to get to know each other better!

How to prepare for a family photo session {Northglenn Colorado Photographer}

Last weekend my family had our family photos taken, let me tell you photos with a family of 5 kids and a husband who doesn’t really love picture day can be a huge headache but we made it through and with my own session fresh in my mind I have decided I need to create a checklist for all of you to help make your session run more smoothly. Here are the steps you need to take to make sure your family photo session will go off without a hitch

Setting up your session:

• Choose a photographer. Make sure you love their style of images including types of photos you see in their portfolio, editing style and the products they offer (canvases or other wall art products). Hopefully, your photographer is me and you already have that part covered!

• Set up a date, time and location. make sure to think about where you are going to hang the images when you choose the location. For me I really wanted them hanging in my dining room and was picturing a mountain backdrop. When you book with me, I will send you location suggestions based on your vision so tell me a little bit about what you have in mind. You can also check out my favorite locations on my locations Pinterest board.

Planning your wardrobe

I’ve done several blog posts just on this subject so if you want more details than I give here, check out this recent blog post just on choosing clothing for families.

• Choose colors for your family photos. You will want to choose at least two colors to mix and match throughout the group, even if one of them is a neutral. I knew I wanted royal blue to match the walls in my dining room so I started with blue and white. Later I added khaki pants on all of the boys so it was 3 colors total.

• Add accessories. When planning our session I chose a blue and white checkered shirt for my middle son but I know he couldn’t be the only one with white in his outfit so I added a white sweater on my oldest daughter and a blue sweater with white “fur” on my younger daughter, then I found a white shawl

for me and added pearl necklaces on all 3 girls. Next, I wanted to make sure that my husband’s shirt that was a slightly lighter blue didn’t look out of place so I added flower crowns for my girls in the same color blue. The accessories really tied together all of the outfits so no one person stood out in the group.

• Check their shoes!!! The easiest thing to forget when planning a session is to make sure everyone has shoes that are going to look good in the photos (no cartoon characters or bright colors that will draw your eye to the shoes instead f your faces) and make sure they fit! Don’t wait until the day before or day of the session to do this. If your child hasn’t worn their dress shoes in months and you plan to have them wear them for the session have them try them on to make sure they still fit and look great.

• Make sure you will be warm enough. As I write this it is fall and the weather is quickly getting colder. In a few weeks it will be November and warm clothing options for your session will be a MUST. For our session I planned sweaters for my girls, long sleeve shirts WITH UNDERSHIRTS for my boys, a shawl for myself since my dress was off the shoulder and I even brought a white blanket for the baby so that I could wrap him in it when it got chilly and still have it match our clothing colors. You will want something your small kids can wear in the session to keep them warm in case it’s a cold day. Look for cute sweaters, jackets, layered clothing or even cute matching winter hats!

Pack a bag before the session day with things you might need

My bag might look a little different than yours based on the age of your kids but this was what went in my photo session bag.

• Extra diapers, underwear and pants (that would still match our colors) for my 2 year and 2 month old.

• A toy that I didn’t mind being in the photo. Make a favorite stuffed animal, a favorite book you could read your little one, a vintage-looking toy (I love toy airplanes, rag dolls etc).

• Safety pins, bobby pins, hair clips. Just in case.

• A quilt and a blanket that matched our session colors. I will typically bring a quilt and some stools to most of my family sessions and try to match them to your clothing however it is also a great idea to bring your own, especially if it has any sentimental value, for fun shots of the family hanging out on the quilt or wrapping themselves in it.

• A brush and a lint roller.

• Baby wipes and/or a wet rag.

• A spray bottle with water or detangler.

• Clean snacks (I avoid bringing these out of the car during the session, often once kids see them they just want more and more and then they have food in their mouth in all of the images, however it is great to have them on hand just in case.

Arrive early to the session.

Now that you have everything you need for the session itself plan to arrive early, especially if you have little ones. We planned to be there 45 minutes early so that we could dress my 5-year-old, 2-year-old and 2-month-old there as well as feed the baby a bit before we started. Even when we were running a little late this still got us there in time for a quick feeding and to be ALMOST ready by the time our photographer arrived. Let’s face it as moms it’s sometimes hard to get anywhere on time with the whole family so do yourself a favor and plan to be early.

A few things you shouldn’t do to prep for your session

• Don’t practice smiling with your kids. You will make your kids overthink their smile and they will be less likely to e natural and relaxed for the session.

• Don’t Bring messy snacks to give them before or during the session. This seems like a no brainer but it happens all the time so it is worth saying.

• Don’t Bribe your children Ok sometimes a bribe might be necessary, but it also tells the kids that this may not be fun, why else would mom and dad need to bribe us? My goal is to just make the session as fun as possible and use the brides as a last resort. Also, keep in mind that small children will not wait a long time for a bribe. If they are promised something after the session they typically start to get frustrated that they have not received the bride within the first 15 minutes of the session. After that, it can be hard to get them to cooperate because often they start to believe that the promised bribe is not really coming. So save the brides for getting those last few poses after your kids have started to tire of the session. Instead tell them “we are going to go to the part and a photographer is going to take pictures of us while we play together”.

My Family

Photo by: Reflection Photography, edited by me :)

I hope this helps make planning your session easier for your next family photos! If you would like more advice on preparing and information about the session process and pricing please download my session guide below!

My name is Jennifer Tavera, owner, photographer and gallery designer for Truth Photography LLC. I have created beautiful custom portraiture for my clients here in the Denver and Boulder Colorado areas for the past 12 years! I specialize in growing families including children, maternity, and newborn. I love what I do and I cannot wait to share my passion with all of you.

As a busy mom myself, I understand that you need a photographer who will go the extra mile to help you with every aspect of creating cherished imagery of your family.

I would love to become YOUR family photographer and can't wait for us to get to know each other better!

Clear Creek History Park, Golden CO {Denver Photoshoot Locations}

Part of the planning process for your photo session is of course picking the perfect location. There are so many amazing locations in the Denver and Boulder areas that it can be hard to choose which is best and I find myself often emailing or texting images back and forth to clients. So in an effort to make my job and your choice easier I am starting a series of blogs featuring all of my favorite locations with a variety of images and details on each location. I hope this will give you as my clients a better look at what a session at each of these locations looks like and help you choose the one that is right for your session! So here is the first of many locations I love for sessions!

I chose this location as my first to feature because it has so many different looks within a short walk from each other. Believe it or not all of the spots shown below are within a 5-minute walk from one another.

Best time of year for this location:

Year-round, with the great old buildings and beautiful spots along the river this location has some great spot even in the winter when the trees are dead.

Best time of day for this location:

Honestly, the answer to this for almost all of my locations is sunset, if you would like the mountains behind you or the shot with the white schoolhouse you are going to want a sunset session however this location does have some spots where shade can be found for morning sessions.

Parking:

This location free parking for the park and additional parking on the river side at the library. When we plan your session I will tell you which side to meet me on based on where I plan to start your session.

Other info for this location:

The biggest conflict for this location is local festivals. Make sure to check Golden’s festival schedule to see if anything is scheduled near the park. I do not book this location during the weekend of Buffalo Bill Days or other large festivals in the area. Check the festival schedule here: https://www.visitgolden.com/events/festivals-of-golden/

Get more information on a session at this location:

My name is Jennifer Tavera, owner, photographer and gallery designer for Truth Photography LLC. I have created beautiful custom portraiture for my clients here in the Denver and Boulder Colorado areas for the past 12 years! I specialize in growing families including children, maternity, and newborn. I love what I do and I cannot wait to share my passion with all of you.

As a busy mom myself, I understand that you need a photographer who will go the extra mile to help you with every aspect of creating cherished imagery of your family.

I would love to become YOUR family photographer and can't wait for us to get to know each other better!

Lillie {Westminster Colorado Family Photographer}

I photographed my first Gus Gift session last month. I can already tell that the greatest blessing to this program is going to be meeting these amazing families, these amazing women who have gone through the unimaginable and stayed strong for their families and who came out of these experiences as stronger people.

For those of you who are not yet familiar with the Gus Gift, it is a program for families who are facing the loss of a child or who have a child who has overcome a life-threatening illness or condition. I hope to bless families who have children with cancer, conditions like Trisomy 13 and 18, who have been in a life-threatening accident or who were born dangerously premature or with a life-threatening condition. I am currently donating a session and digital files every quarter to one of these families as well as giving them a print credit equal to 15% of print sales from the previous quarter. I hope to eventually grow my business to have enough revenue to bless a family with this gift every month so please help me get the word out about my business and this program to help me meet that vision and goal!

In the meantime, I'd love to tell you about this beautiful family who was my first Gus' Gift recipient.

Meet Lillie, she is about to turn two years old. She was born on October 21, 2017, at only 25 weeks gestation via emergency c section. Her mother, Kelli, had what is known as HELLP syndrome which had caused her organs to begin to shut down. At birth Lillie only weighed 1lb 4oz and was just 8.5 inches long.

Having a child born this early, and this small is scary enough in itself but in addition to her early birth on her first day of life, Lillie developed a hole in her lung and had to have a chest tube placed.

Lillie was 12 days old before her parents were able to hold her. She spent the first 4 and a half months of her life, a total of 133 days in the NICU.

She came home on March 3rd, 2018, a month past her original due date and still on oxygen. Then in June of 2018, she stopped eating and was throwing up constantly. They had to return to the hospital for surgery to have a gtube, a feeding tube through her belly, placed. Lillie is still fed through the gtube for now but has come such a long way since her birth! I hope to have the honor to continue to see her grow as I have no doubt this little miracle is destined for great things!

I am also so inspired by Kelli her mother, despite all of the challenges of raising a young child who has additional medical needs she graduated on May 18th, 2019 with an MA in mental health counseling! I asked Kelli what one thing she would want to tell mothers at the beginning of their NICU journey and this is what she said: “It is going to be hard, possibly one of the hardest things you've ever been through. Find a way to take care of yourself. That might be taking a day away from the NICU occasionally, going to therapy, having a weekly coffee date with another mom in the NICU or a friend, or even going back to work while your baby is in the NICU.”

I am so honored to have been able to photograph this beautiful little girl and her family and to tell a little bit of their story!

If you know a family who has a child with a life-threatening illness or condition and would like to learn more about the Gus' Gift program and nominate that family please visit www.truth-photography.com/nominate

To help support this program by booking your own photo session please contact me below:

My name is Jennifer Tavera, owner, photographer and gallery designer for Truth Photography LLC. I have created beautiful custom portraiture for my clients here in the Denver and Boulder Colorado areas for the past 12 years! I specialize in growing families including children, maternity, and newborn. I love what I do and I cannot wait to share my passion with all of you.

As a busy mom myself, I understand that you need a photographer who will go the extra mile to help you with every aspect of creating cherished imagery of your family.

I would love to become YOUR family photographer and can't wait for us to get to know each other better!

Choosing clothing for family photos {Denver Family Photographer}

As of last weekend, my busy fall season is in fall swing! The one question I get the most in this season of family portraits is what should we wear? Here are some tips for choosing the perfect outfits for the whole family!

Dress Mom First

There is a 99% chance that if you are reading this you are a mom. Normally mom is the one planning family photos and picking clothing for everyone. So, mom lets start in your closet. One of the most important things for a family photo session is that you are comfortable and love the way you look. Let's face it, ladies if we hate our outfit or the way we look we will not love the portraits and will never hang it on our wall. So what do you have in your closet that makes you LOVE the way you look? Or better yet, let’s go shopping! Right now I don’t want you to worry about colors or patterns, no matter what you choose I can help you match it to the rest of your family for outfits that coordinate perfectly. The most important thing to think about is your body shape and what will flatter your body and make you look and feel amazing in your portraits. Check out this video I created about dressing for your body shape a few years ago for tips on how to dress for you!

Still feeling lost? 

You may also want to consider borrowing a gown from my client closet for a more formal look All of my gowns come from a company that creates them to look amazing on all women so even though you will see them used mostly for maternity sessions on my website, they also look amazing on mama’s that aren’t expecting. I plan to wear one of them for my next family session!

Make sure you can sit

You will be sitting on the ground in a variety of positions for many of the poses. Avoid short skirts (especially on little girls) and white pants, really anything you won’t be comfortable sitting on the grass in or that you can’t sit in a variety of poses in modestly.

Coordinate DON’T match! 

Now that you have your clothing chosen let's look at the rest of the family. If you have chosen something with a pattern that has several colors we can use the colors from your clothing to choose colors for everyone else. If you chose a solid color then I normally recommend looking to see if someone else in the family has a patterned outfit with that color in it. For example a floral dress for your daughter or plaid or another patterned shirt on your husband or son. This photo is a great example because of that plaid shirt on her son. It’s also a great example of my next point using layers.

Before I get to that I wanted to show you this sample however from a recent maternity shoot. This is one example of choosing coordinated colors without using a pattern which can also work great if you choose colors that just look amazing together! 

Layers look best

Don’t be afraid to layer your clothing, especially now that the weather will be getting a little cooler. Some ways to add layers can include sweaters, scarves, jewelry, jackets, floral crowns, bow ties, sports coats, etc. Layers not only add some visual interest but they can also be a great way to pull the group together into a cohesive look. Using a necklace, scarf, sweater or tie to pull in one of the colors another family member is wearing helps with coordinating the group as a whole. This is a great example of this, mom wore this scarf to pull in the yellow from her daughters dress.

Shoes matter

Yes, your shoes will show and no I cannot hide them in every portrait, so please don’t forget about them. I don’t know about you but all of my kid's shoes are brightly colored and have characters. So if you need to go buy them some dress shoes or plain colored shoes don’t leave it until the last minute. Nothing worse than spending hours to put together outfits only to have Spiderman or Hello Kitty shoes on your kids' feet

Need a little help? 

I hope all of these tips have helped you out figuring out what to wear from your session. If you are still in need of some help, send me a picture. Just something simple lay it all out on your bed and take a snapshot. Don’t forget to include shoes, jewelry, etc in the picture. I would love to take a look to see if I have any suggestions or tell you what colors I would use to tie the look together. Plus seeing your clothing colors and styles helps me plan the look of the session before we get started so I can get the best images for you from your session! 

 Interested in more information about a session with me? Fill out the form below and I’ll email you my session guide!

My name is Jennifer Tavera, owner, photographer and gallery designer for Truth Photography LLC. I have created beautiful custom portraiture for my clients here in the Denver and Boulder Colorado areas for the past 12 years! I specialize in growing families including children, maternity, and newborn. I love what I do and I cannot wait to share my passion with all of you.

As a busy mom myself, I understand that you need a photographer who will go the extra mile to help you with every aspect of creating cherished imagery of your family.

I would love to become YOUR family photographer and can't wait for us to get to know each other better!

Morrison Area Mountain Maternity Session {Golden Co Pregnancy Photographer}

I was so excited when Rosie contacted me for a maternity shoot last month! After a brief chat with her on the phone to discuss a session I knew that I was going to have so much fun creating the perfect look for her and shooting this session. She was very open to me styling the session and choosing a location that I thought would be great for it, her only request? Wildflowers! We lucked out by not only finding a spot with some beautiful wildflowers but with mountain views as well! Just for an added touch I snipped the flowers she is holding here from my garden before leaving for her session because you can never have too many flowers!!!

Rosie is wearing one of the newest gowns in my maternity collections. While I have looked at many dress companies I always wind up back at the same one when I purchase a new dress because the quality and beautiful styles just cannot be found anywhere else. The dress she is wearing here is the Angela dress by Sew Trendy Accessories, my clients have access to my dresses for their session and I often purchase new gowns for specific sessions but if you are a fellow photographer checking out this blog post and want a discount on their gowns my affiliate link will get you 15% off!

http://i.refs.cc/iG3B30FA?smile_ref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjo5NTk0NDA3Mn0%3D

I had another shoot in this gown back in May and I knew I wanted to create a completely different look for Rosie. I’m the first session we paired the dress with a shirt for dad that was a darker blue green color and with a cream colored dress on their daughter and it looked amazing together be as I was chatting with Rosie I suddenly pictured the gown with reds and when I asked her what she thought she loved the idea! So I created the floral crown she is wearing to tie her dress together with her husbands shirt and she did a great job completing the look by painting her nails red to match!

At the last minute I added my favorite necklace for a sweetheart neckline and it definitely has me thinking that I need to add some more bold necklaces like this to my client collection to help complete the look for sessions like this!!

I have to say however that the look would not have been complete without the help of Sabrina Deemer Makeup who did her hair and makeup for the shoot. https://www.facebook.com/sabrinadeemermakeup

If you are expecting this fall and would love to have a session custom styled for you from the gown and accessories to the final ready to hang gallery pieces for your home I would LOVE to be your photographer! I have maternity session openings starting in September but hurry spots are filing up quickly! You can find my contact form below if you would like to get more information on a session with me.

Contact me below for session information and openings.

My name is Jennifer Tavera, owner, photographer and gallery designer for Truth Photography LLC. I have created beautiful custom portraiture for my clients here in the Denver and Boulder Colorado areas for the past 12 years! I specialize in growing families including children, maternity, and newborn. I love what I do and I cannot wait to share my passion with all of you.

As a busy mom myself, I understand that you need a photographer who will go the extra mile to help you with every aspect of creating cherished imagery of your family.

I would love to become YOUR family photographer and can't wait for us to get to know each other better!

Skylynn's Clear Creek Newborn Session {Denver Outdoor Newborn Photographer}

The thing I have found about outdoor newborn photography since I started offering it is that people either love it or hate it. I get it, it is not for everyone. Some people just like to keep their baby home for awhile and for some people they just feel indoor sessions are more natural for this age group.

For my clients who hire me for outdoor newborn sessions however it’s the most natural thing in the world. Why is that? Because they love the outdoors, that’s where their family spends their free time exploring all of the beautiful places in Colorado, enjoying the fresh air and sunshine!

I have no doubt that for Skylynn this outdoor newborn session will be just the start of her time out in nature, making this session the perfect fit for her! Plus they are going to look adorable in her forest themed room that mom let me peek at during their selection appointment. Her daddy is hand painting her walls with trees and woodland creatures!

I love getting to know the families I photograph and seeing families grow! In addition to loving this shoot because outdoor newborn is one of my favorite types of sessions, it was even more special because it is not the first time that I have done an outdoor newborn session for this family! This is a side by side from Skylynn’s session and their older daughters session two years ago! Their parents brought this beautiful handmade cradle to both sessions for their daughters to be photographed in and I wrapped them in colors to match each of their rooms for these images. I love being able to see them side by side now!

I can’t wait to see the final portraits when they arrive. Mom ordered a set of my heritage wood prints and I have been checking my email excessively for shipping confirmation for them, I think I may be almost as excited as she is to see them in print! The galleries below are just mock ups I created for her for her selection appointment but she did choose 2 of the images in the gallery below for her set!

I would love to create a beautiful wall art set like this for your newborn! If you are a nature lover like this family, and due with your baby between May and September an outdoor newborn session may be a great option for you too! Or if you are due during winter months or more of a homebody, I offer in home sessions or sessions at my home in Northglenn CO. Let’s chat and we can customize the perfect session for you!

My name is Jennifer Tavera, the photographer behind Truth Photography. I am a Northglenn Colorado family photographer and gallery designer seeking adventurous, free spirited families. I believe that your life is epic and deserves to be captured with photography!

I specializes in creating unique photo sessions that will be an adventure for your child or family and turning the finished portraits into beautiful wall art for your home. I can’t wait to photograph your next adventure!!

~Jennifer Tavera Photographer and Gallery designer

North Denver activities, Music with Mar {Denver Brand Photographer}

Last month I had the pleasure of attending a Music with Mar class with Ms. Annmarie with my two and six-year-olds. The class is geared for give years old and under so my six year old was mostly along for the ride however she seemed to enjoy herself anyway.

My two year old definitely loved everything about the class!

Music with Mar is not quite what you would expect from the typical music class. First its a drop in class which means you don't have to sign up to be there at the same time every week for 6 or 8 weeks, you can drop in on any class Annmarie offers and either pay $12 for the whole family for the single class, or $50 for any 5 classes you want to attend.

The second way it is different is it's not about teaching an instrument or just about the songs, the class involved bubbles, scarves, reading books, puppets and more! The kids were allowed to play with each item as she brought it out, and return it when it was time for the next, or if they chose continue playing with it until the end of the class. We watched the kids play and learn with her through songs and fun and all the kids were having a great time. After all the fun the class ended with cuddle time with the parent or caregiver who brought them to the class!

I loved how unique and laid back the class was, perfect for this easily distracted age group but fun and interactive enough to hold their attention. If you visit the Music with Mar website it talks a lot about how the program is brain research based music and learning designed to help kids brains develop at this early age. This makes it a great fit for parents looking for something both fun and educational for this age group.

Music with Mar with Ms. Annmarie currently meets twice a week

Tuesday: 10:30 am

Friday: 10:30 am

Both classes are at the Switchboard Networking Boutique, 1975 W. 120th Ave. Westminster

Annmarie also let me know that she has more classes opening at a brand new location in the fall in addition to the two days a week at Switchboard so make sure to watch her Facebook page for more details on those classes!

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.

My name is Jennifer Tavera, the photographer behind Truth Photography. I am a Northglenn Colorado family photographer and gallery designer seeking adventurous, free spirited families. I believe that your life is epic and deserves to be captured with photography!

I specializes in creating unique photo sessions that will be an adventure for your child or family and turning the finished portraits into beautiful wall art for your home. I can’t wait to photograph your next adventure!!

~Jennifer Tavera Photographer and Gallery designer

How to hang a two bracket portrait or art piece {Northglenn family photographer}

One of the things I have heard over and over from my clients is that they struggle to get their wall art hung straight, especially pieces with two saw tooth hangers like my canvases, without putting a million holes in the wall. So today I am sharing a quick tutorial on how to get your pieces on the wall without making the wall look like Swiss cheese!

Step 1

Gather your supplies, you will need a measuring tape, level, and a pencil. If you are hanging the piece in drywall I recommend using screws and self drilling anchors so you will also need a screwdriver to install those as well.

Step 2 

Typically you want to hang your art at eye level, however if you are hanging this above a piece of furniture it may be a little higher or lower since you will want to space it about 10 inches above the top of the furniture.  If you are hanging it above a piece of furniture start by measuring from the bottom of the art piece up to the hook. Next measure for the top of the furniture piece up that amount plus 10 inches and mark that spot on the wall.

Step 3

Measure the wall to find the center so that you can make sure to center your portrait or gallery on the wall. Mark the center with a pencil or other erasable tool. Next on the back of the piece you are hanging measure the area between the two brackets. Divide the width of the area between the brackets by two and then measure that width from either side of the center dot you already marked on the wall and mark it make sure that the height of each dot matches up to the height marked in step 2.

Step 4

I recommend double checking at this point to make sure all of your measurements where correct and level. Stretch your tape measure between the two dots you have marked and use the level to make sure that they are level with one another (or use a laser level for this if you have one!) before installing your anchor and screws.

Step 5

Install your anchors and screws using the directions on the package for your specific anchors and hang your portrait on the wall! You may want to verify one more time that is is level by placing the level along the top. Enjoy!

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.

My name is Jennifer Tavera, the photographer behind Truth Photography. I am a Northglenn Colorado family photographer and gallery designer seeking adventurous, free spirited families. I believe that your life is epic and deserves to be captured with photography!

I specializes in creating unique photo sessions that will be an adventure for your child or family and turning the finished portraits into beautiful wall art for your home. I can’t wait to photograph your next adventure!!

~Jennifer Tavera Photographer and Gallery designer

Gross Reservoir Maternity Session {Colorado Mountain Family Photographer}

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!

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.

My name is Jennifer Tavera, the photographer behind Truth Photography. I am a Northglenn Colorado family photographer and gallery designer seeking adventurous, free spirited families. I believe that your life is epic and deserves to be captured with photography!

I specializes in creating unique photo sessions that will be an adventure for your child or family and turning the finished portraits into beautiful wall art for your home. I can’t wait to photograph your next adventure!!

~Jennifer Tavera Photographer and Gallery designer

Gus' Story {Boulder Family Photographer}

Today I am re-sharing a blog from a few years ago. Since I launched this new website earlier this year I have been slowly transferring some of my old posts that are still relevant to my business as it is today. Since I launched my new program Gus’ Gift earlier this year I wanted to move over the blog posts about the family that inspired me to create Gus’ Gift. This blog was originally written in Sept. 2016. (Images from their 2016 & 2017 family sessions)

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I often take for granted how important my job is, I sometimes even get told that it is “not a real job”. But every once in a while a client comes along that reminds me why I do what I do. A few years ago, when I still photographed weddings, that client was a bride who 6 months after her wedding emailed me to let me know how thankful she was for the portraits of her and her father together. He had died suddenly a few months after her wedding and those were their last family portraits. This year that client that reminded me was a 7-year-old boy named Gus.

Gus was diagnosed with a brain tumor when he was 3 years old. Although the doctors were able to fully remove the tumor his family recently learned that his cancer has returned and that it is only a matter of time before it claims his life. His family had never had a formal family photo session. When his mother Sasha contacted me about the session she said that they would be the only family portraits that they would ever get with both of their sons.

With my own son turning 7 in just a few months I can’t help but put myself in her place for a moment. Just the thought of losing my precious son at such a young age makes it hard to breathe. I honestly don’t know how Sasha makes it through each day with such strength, although I am sure she feels anything but strong at the moment. I have learned that the moments in life when we feel the weakest are usually the ones when we have the most strength.

I wish I had something deep or profound to say here, the fact is that I am really not a writer, I let my images do most of the speaking. I will say to other parents who have never had a family session or haven’t had one in a long time, don’t wait. Life is precious and fragile and children grow so quickly.

If you would like to read more about Gus please visit his Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/GusGreyMatters

To nominate a family for Gus’ gift or for more information click the link below.

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