Tracy and Joe are flying through their baby bundle. Adam was born yesterday and he’s already nine months old.

The great thing about baby bundles is that you’ll hit some beautiful weather at some point during the year. Adam’s newborn session took place inside because he was born in April.

Here’s a quick flashback.

But then his 6 month session took place on a gorgeous fall day in November at Corbett’s Glen.

For this session, we were back inside at Tracy and Joe’s beautiful home in Webster.  Love his hair!

People ask me all the time if I have a studio and I don’t. I’m not sure I ever want one – Adam was already super comfortable when I arrived because he was home. It’s also fantastic to be able to keep prices lower for clients (no overhead!) and to have an endless selection of backgrounds. I also enjoy the challenge of arriving somewhere and seeing what types of images we can come up with together.

An image Tracy mentioned when we talked was one of Adam’s baby bum before he got too much older and it would be “weird.” Joe wasn’t quite sure what to make of that – I’m pretty sure it’s a mom thing.

Tracy has said that Adam isn’t a super smiley baby, but because he was comfortable he did a fair share of smiling for us.

He was super mobile and crawled at the pace of a run. Getting the sitting images above required some serious cheerios.

This teepee was a Christmas gift from grandma.

If you ever want a great baby-dad image, have the dad throw the baby in the air and stop for a moment just above his nose. The best smiles come out of being thrown in the air by dad.

Thank you so much Tracy and Joe for sharing your beautiful family with me!

Sue requested a more candid look to their family portraits this fall, which made me a little nervous since some people say that and then when they look at their proofs realize they actually wanted more traditional images.  Sue did not fall in that category.  She asked for playful and she wanted playful – it was a win!

Interestingly, “candid” style photos are posed in the same way as more traditional images but the main difference is where you’re looking. In the latter you look straight at the camera and in the former you look at each other. Even when you’ve been married a long time, that can actually be kind of awkward.

But that’s okay because then you smile more.

And let’s be honest, it’s easier to get kids to look pretty much anywhere besides the camera.

Martin was chasing Matteo around before the session and I had to call them both to come to where Sue, Mia and I were. I got the impression that Martin would much rather be chasing Matteo around through the creek than hanging out for a photo session.

Flash Back: Mia, 9 days old

You blink and they’re no longer newborns.

Sue did not self-identify as a dress-your-baby-in-tutus kind of mom until she had a daughter.

Matteo made himself at home in front of the camera.

Sue and Martin, thank you so much for sharing your beautiful family with me again.  It is a joy to watch them grow!

We all know that Rochester is a great place to raise a family, but it is not a great place for outdoor portraits in February (unless you’re willing to turn a little pink for your family portraits like Kristine and Ken). A very commonly asked question is where to take portraits when the weather is less than optimal. Here are my top 5 recommendations:

1. The Memorial Art Gallery

The Memorial Art Gallery has a sunlit atrium with sculptures, a fountain and foliage, even in the winter. It packs a lot of variety into a small area and even has beautiful outdoor options for weather that’s not completely terrible.  To view more of Melissa’s session, click here.

2. Lamberton Conservatory

Lamberton Conservatory is located in Highland Park and offers a tropical reprieve in the midst of artic winters.  There are a a variety of large leafed plants, hanging vines, cactai, bridges, a waterfall and a small pond with turtles.  It’s open from 10 am to 4 pm every day and has a nominal admission fee.  To view Laurette and Amorette’s session, click here.

3.  The Village Gate

The Village Gate is a veritable photo park with a wide variety of wall colors and textures as well as hanging sculptures and waterfalls in their multiple story atrium.  To view more from this session, click here.

4.  University Campuses

If you’ve had any contact with the academic world you know that running around on a college campus taking photos won’t really phase anyone. It reminds me of when my husband first started teaching and thought he had to go in early so people would see him at work.  He did that twice.  He came home and said no one was there to see him.  In general, college campuses are pretty laid back about that sort of thing.

Matthew wanted his senior photos to reflect his passions, so we visited the Roberts Wesleyan College Campus and took photos in their theater.  We were able to get someone to say it was okay, but we didn’t see a soul the whole time.  To see more images from this session, click here.

Sarah also chose Roberts for their grand piano.

To see more images from this session, click here.

This session is from the University of Rochester library.

5.  Local Museums

We ended up at Strong Museum completely on accident and it’s probably not technically allowed, but you can get away with taking professional photographs at your local children’s museum if your photographer tries to look like an enthusiastic relative.

To see more images from this session, click here.

Some other options are of course heading outside, or having your portraits taken in the comfort of your own home.

Of course, you can also always wait until the weather has improved, but sometimes a little inclement weather can squeeze some creativity into your session and make it more memorable than you imagined.

There are three main components to a portrait session and they are:

My daughter was born with enough personality for three people.

Melody circa 2008 (age 2)

She’s feisty, free spirited, and creative – and pretty much has been straight out of the gate.  If an image portrays her as calm and princess-like it doesn’t fit.  It’s like a physical therapist going to a chiropractor.

Your dog, your house, your outfit – all of these things have personality.  Generally the more we age, the more comfortable we are with who we are.  We exchange experimentation for knowledge, which is a whole lot more efficient and definitely less stressful.

Visiting Kerry Stitch at Indigo Tones was a huge step for me in this process.  After a lifetime of buying clothes I never wore, her statement of, “You like to dress like everyone else” was strangely liberating. Now I am at peace with my relationship with Eddie Bauer.  I admire skirts, dresses and lace from afar.

Your family portraits follow this same principle.  Your images should represent your family’s personality.

I have a huge weakness for shirtless men holding naked babies.  My husband Jason has been an awesome sport about it, but since he almost never takes his shirt off ever (even though he totally could with his half a percent of body fat!!!), those images just look weird to me.

This image is weird.  He even wears shirts swimming – inside.

The same is true of a portrait session.  You can absolutely love someone else’s session but if it doesn’t fit your family, the images will feel out of place.

There are essentially three different styles of family portraits:

1. Formal.  Rebecca packed my kitchen for me when we moved.  I offered to do portraits for her as a thank you gift.  She loves, loves, loves formal images which are generally not my thing, but I couldn’t turn down an opportunity to hear a heartwarming rendition of “Mama has a big ole’ butt, oh yeah.”

2. Natural – this is about 90% of what I end up doing.  It’s my personal favorite.

I overuse this image, I know.  I think it might just be my favorite family image of all time ever.

Here are some more relaxed, natural portrait sessions to explore:
Rainy Day Portraits ~ Black Creek Park
Lisa & Brad ~ Tinker Nature Park
Liz & Bernie ~ Brighton

3. Sessions that incorporate an activity.  I don’t see a ton of this, but I think it’s awesome to explore some fun activities during a session.  If you’re an off the beaten path type of person, check out this article:

6 Creative Ideas for an Awesome Family Photo Shoot

Remember that it’s okay to appreciate someone else’s spunk without feeling like it needs to be yours.  At the same time, if you’re a spunky type, be sure to let loose!

● Style 

What to Wear Part 2: What to Wear to Your Professional Photo Shoot ~ Timeless Styles

Bonus: How to Get Free Clothes : Kerry Stitch of Indigo Tones

January is not a popular on location photography month.  Things are really quiet and it’s nice to have a little bit of a breather.  However, should you be itching for some photographic goodness, snow is no reason to hold back!  There happen to be many studio-less winter options available.

Danielle and Larry bought their house because they loved the location and renovated everything.  The result is a beautifully photogenic house (unlike our last city house, or our somewhat bland brand new construction house).  It has a lot of character and really, what better place to photograph your family than in your home?

This may be my new favorite sibling picture.  I don’t get to do bed pictures very often and I’m a huge fan of them!  I’m especially impressed with people who actually make their beds because… well, I don’t.

If you’d like to watch Trevor grow, check out this post, and this one.  He loves a good boy band song and a dance party.

Danielle is quite proud of these rolls – as she should be!

 

And it’s always a great idea to finish up with a picture of just the adults – because when you look through your photos years later you may realize you don’t have any since your wedding.

If you’re interested in purchasing a Baby Bundle, you can learn all about them by clicking here.  They are the best bang for your buck in Debra Wallace Photography land.

It would only be too early to plan your newborn session if you’re not yet pregnant.  If you’ve got that covered, today is the day to get some things checked off your preparations-for-baby list!  On the other hand, if you’ve already had the baby, it’s not too late either.  Contact me and we’ll get you set up!

2.  Location.  Most sessions take place in your home since that’s where you’re most comfortable, but I can also set up a studio at my house, or if it’s during the summer months, outside portraits trump inside any day.

Option 1: Outside with a baby sized container.

Option 2: Being held (there are many variations of this).

Option 3: Just the baby on a blanket.

Kara and Robert fell in love writing letters to each other, which they kept.  They named their baby Story.  You can read more here.  The number one image they wanted from their session was Story sleeping with the letters that led to her arrival.

They also love music.

If your stomach is anything like mine, it may soon resemble a deflated air mattress.  Before that happens, be sure to create some photographic memories so that you can relive your taut stomach and perfect skin while forgetting the waddling and grape sized bladder.

When should you schedule?  Maternity sessions are typically scheduled in the third trimester with at least a little wiggle room before your due date.  You can also purchase a Baby Bundle (3 to 5 sessions) for additional savings.

1.  Wear a belly hugging shirt.  Cameras love to imply weight instead of shape, so snug clothes are definitely better to clarify that it’s a baby and not Christmas cookies.

2. Pick a location that’s meaningful to you.  It’s even better if there is some variety with regards to nature and architecture so that you have plenty of options.

 

 3.  Bring a few different clothing combinations.  Similar to the above tip, it can give you quite a lot of variety in your images with minimal effort.

4.  Alternatively, you can also remove some clothing to capture your superhuman capabilities.  This isn’t for everyone, but I know for me personally it’s the only time I’m really captivated by and not particularly self conscious about my body.

5.  Include your family.  Big brothers and sisters capitalize on the cute factor.  Having dad participate is also a bonus.  You may also want to think about other people who have supported you – like your own parents or close friends.

6.  Include an object that’s meaningful to you.  You can include an ultrasound picture, a special gift such as a blanket for the baby, shoes for the baby, etc.  Some families even have sessions in the baby’s future nursery.