15: The Other Side of the Lens, The Client Experience: The Bodilys

Hiya Humbletakes Fam!

I have a very special treat for y'all. Cuz I love ya! I have another installation of  "The Other Side of the Lens"! *and the crowd goes wiiiiiiiild*

I have taken Erin's family pictures for many years and I have loved watching her three wonderful kiddos grow up. This is another reason I feel lucky to be working as a photographer. I get to watch, and be part of, your family growing up and maturing. I get to see how an awkward 9 year old with glasses and braces blossoms into one of the most beautiful young women I've ever seen.  How a tiny 4 month old is on the move only a year later. These are wonderful, fast-moving times. And sometimes I'm even lucky enough to see the absolutely perfect baby that was just a "baby bump" the year before! My job is a gift. My clients are my family. And my life is full of joyous moments.

You have your family pictures taken every year. Why?

In real time it may not seem like it happens very quickly, but my kids change so much. You know that saying, "the days are long, but the years are short" (or something like that). When I look back at previous sessions and old photos, I can barely believe how much they've grown. We have used Melissa for years because she can capture who my children are at that point in their lives. If they make funny faces or react to something in a totally genuine way, she catches it. These moments are absolutely priceless. It's so easy to forget the silly face my youngest used to make that would have us all cracking up or the reaction my daughter had when we would talk to her about boys at school. I feel like Melissa gets it. She understands that these times fly by and these moments are precious.

What are some of your favorite things you've done with your pictures?

I have used Melissa's pictures in so many ways I can't even count. Aside from the family photo book and social media, I would have to say that my favorite thing I've done is get huge...like, huge 16x20 gallery wrapped photos of each of the kids and the kids together on the wall going up the staircase. I love looking up at that wall. OH! And I printed another gigantic (can't remember the size) gallery wrap and put it above my mantle in our main room. It completely finished the look of space and is an absolute eye-catcher!

What is one of your favorite pictures or sessions that Melissa has taken and why?

That's so hard because I’ve loved every picture.  But some of my favorites are:

One of my favorite pictures Melissa has taken is an amazing sports volleyball action shot of my daughter, Baylee.  It shows her hustle, drive, determination, hard-work and beauty, all in one shot.

There is a shot of my second daughter, Brielle, that I just can't get enough of. Bree is very intelligent and her humor is often subtle and understated. Her expressions are the same. There is a shot of her that perfectly captures her slight smile and brilliant eyes. I just love it.

And my youngest, oh my youngest! This boy is an all out goof ball. He is a comedian through and through! He has us laughing constantly with his crazy facial expressions and witty remarks. I think Melissa catches his craziness in such a way that you can see he is silly yet sweet, energetic and endearing, crazy and charming.

There is a family shot Melissa took of my family in front of barn doors that is one of my favorites!  It captures the personality of my family, shot beautifully, and in a setting the has an emotional connection for me of my childhood growing up in the country.  Pure Magic.

I have loved watching this little mob grow and change. I feel like these kids are my very own. I adore this family and feel incredibly blessed that they trust me every year to permanently capture these amazing times in their ever changing lives.

Shout out to you, Bodily's! *fistbump*

Shoot ya Later :)

Dress Your Best All Year Round

Hey Humbletakes Fam!

How is your summer going so far? My little ones are definitely keeping me busy. The summer months are amazing for photos because the weather is perfect 98% of the time. Kids love being outside and it shows. There is only one July MMS date left! (No August dates this year cuz the Sages will be livin' it up in beautiful Idaho and Utah for the month!)

July 29th: BOOK HERE

One of the things I get asked most often as a photographer is, "What do I wear?". I'm coming at'cha with some awesome wardrobe tricks for your next photo session no matter what season it is! I know people love summer and autumn as the backdrop for their photos. The weather is beautiful and the colors are gorgeous! But you can have beautiful pictures ANY time of year! The grey skies of winter can be incredibly romantic, or dressing your little one in a raincoat and galoshes for spring is off the charts adorable!

I know that outfit coordination can be hard during the best times of the year, let alone the more shady ones. I am here to help simplify the task. I have some tips (and examples!) of what to wear for any photo session throughout the year!

Let's get to it!

Spring

I know here in CO springtime can be tricky. It's sometimes warm, sunny, not a cloud in the sky and then all the sudden, BAM!, afternoon thunderstorm! This complicates dressing for a photo shoot and the best advice I can give is just roll with it. I little rain at your shoot can be fun and make for awesome candid playful shots of your family! So think:

• Long sleeves but light fabric
• Cropped jeans
• Fitted jackets (I love well cut cropped jackets)
• Light scarves

Summer

Summer is so wonderful for photo shoots! Everything is green and bright and fun. This is probably the easiest season to dress for.

• Sundresses
• Flowy skirts
• Short sleeved-button up
• Classic shorts 
• Pops of color

Autumn

MY FAVORITE SEASON!! I freaking love autumn. The colors are perfect, the air is crisp but we're not into freezing temperatures yet. AAAHHH! I just love it. Ok, so the power of dressing of an autumn session is layers. Layers and layers.

• Cardigans
• Scarves
• Long sleeves and heavier fabric than spring (read: flannel, even wool)
• Well fitting, full length jeans

Winter

The trickiest season of them all. I have a love/hate relationship with winter. Winter sessions can be oh so magical or oh so miserable. There are a couple things that improve the chances that your winter photo sesh will be on the magical side.

• Don't try to pull of that adorable tank with your favorite cute short shirt and ankle boots. You'll be freezing...and your face will show it. I can't photoshop that out, y'all.  
• Wool leggings under your favorite skirt
• Sweater or cardigan
• Be wary of large coats. I know they're warm but they add bulk + lose shape = no good
• Beanies. Adorable accessory that keeps you warm. Double win!

What is your FAVORITE season?!

Shoot ya Later :)

The Other Side of the Lens, the Client Experience: The Christensens

Hiya Humbletakes Fam!

I wanna give a quick shout out to all of my June MMS peeps! You guys were amazing and I am so happy I got to meet/shoot/hang out with all of you! If you'd like to join the MMS fun you can book your May Mini-Mini Session below!

July 8th: BOOK HERE

July 16th: BOOK HERE

July 29th: BOOK HERE

It is here! The time you have aaaaalll been waiting for! *drumroll* This month's installment of "THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LENS, THE CLIENT EXPERIENCE....ERIENCE...erience....erience...." (monster truck rally announcer-like).

The Christensen family are long time clients of mine and I adore them. Cassie loves authenticity when it comes to her family photos, and life in general, but really for family photos. She has four crazily adorable, little humans running around. She understands that not everything is perfectly in place all the time and that it's ok.

Let's hear her take on her photography shoot experience! 

You have family pictures taken every year, why?

All my single years and newlywed years, I wasn't very big into pictures.  Even when I had my first baby I didn't take the time or energy to get pictures done.  When my second baby rolled around, I realized how fast time was flying. I looked at my then 19 month old boy and realized I had already forgot so many of the little moments that I tried to freeze in time, by taking a mental picture. 

I would think to myself, "this moment is so precious and special, I want to remember it always."  I came to learn I was already forgetting many of those "mind taken" still shots.  I've been doing family pictures ever since.  I want to have those moments captured forever, not just in my heart, but on print.  And an added bonus, I am able to share my joyful parent pride with Grandma's and Grandpa's.

What are some of your favorite things you've done with your pictures? 

Melissa has done an amazing job capturing the light that sparkles in my kiddos eyes. My heart melts when I see a close up photo of them, with their authentic smiles and their eyes filled with laughter.  I've used my pictures in so many ways it's hard to pick a favorite. I always have amazing Christmas Cards, ask any of my friends.  I've used the pictures for birth announcements. On my fourth baby, Sydney, I gave an announcement to my OB-GYN and he said, " that's one of the best announcements I've ever seen."  And he has seen thousands over his career.

I thought is was because my baby was so adorable, but really it was probably the pictures that made it amazing.  My third boy, Matthew has the bluest eyes I've ever seen. One photo shoot delivered a close up of his beautiful baby blues. I framed and enlarged that picture, and placed it on my mantel.  Five and a half years later I still love looking at it and remembering his big, beautiful eyes. I'll cherish that picture for as long as I'm alive.

I've also used some "mini-mini" pictures for my kids baptism pictures. Those pictures have really spotlighted that day in my kiddos lives.  I've also totally replaced my kids school year book pictures. I get way better pictures at a way better price.  

What is one of your favorite pictures or photo session that Melissa has taken and why?  

I'm not sure I can even answer this question, I've gotten so many wonderful pictures over the years.

One of my favorite photo shoots was with just my family, Melissa took us to an old abandoned barn.  She engaged each one of my kiddos and got great pictures. She even got a few pictures of my husband goofing around with the boys.

I remember feeling a little self-conscious about my "after baby" belly pooch. When I got the pictures back I was shocked with how good I looked. Not trying to sound snobbish, but I felt great looking at myself in those pictures.  I was grateful for a photographer who took the time to make me look good, knowing how important that was for me, during a time in my life when I felt insecure. 

Another one of my all time photo shoots was of my entire in-law family.  We were together for Thanksgiving and my mother-in-law wanted to have "entire" family pictures. We went to this really cool, old, vintage location. It ended up being a little cold, but we still all had a great time.

We were all goofing around and giving Nonnie and Papa huge "hug attacked". It amazes me that everyone in the picture had smiles on their faces, I mean with 9 grand-kids, that has got to be hard to do. I love, love, love the pictures from my second daughter, Sara's baptism photo shoot. I'm her mother and have always thought she was beautiful. When I saw her pictures I saw her in a totally different light. She is growing into such an amazing woman, her pictures were gorgeous!

I also had Melissa come take photos at one of my daughters birth. I know it's a little unorthodox, but I absolutely love seeing those pictures and remembering everything about that amazing little bundle joining our family.

Melissa was very tasteful and truly captured that experience for us. I'm done having babies, which makes me a little sad, someday's (not all), but I'm truly grateful and cherish all the little moments of time that Melissa has captured of my crazy little life!

*      *      *

There you have it! I couldn't have said it better myself.

Shoot ya Later :)

Coordinating Outfits Stressin' You Out? Let Me Help!

Guten tag Humbletakes Fam!

How are you guys?

I find that one of the things that my clients stress out about the most (second to the weather here in unpredictable Colorado) is how to dress their families!

The thought of trying to achieve a perfect photo shoot can be overwhelming. But luckily for you, you have an expert in your pocket! I can help you figure out how to coordinate your family’s outfits without all the stress and hassle. Here are my top 5 tips for getting the exact balance of cohesion and individuality in your session.

Matching but not too matching

This is a hard balance to strike so I have added a few pictures of my clients that I feel struck it perfectly.

I love mostly neutrals and a hint of color. Using neutrals is helpful because usually all the members of your family already have an article of clothing in that color so you don't have to spend a fortune on a new wardrobe!

I love a splash of color but nothing too distracting.

Don't be afraid to accessorize

A chunky necklace, big scarf, or fun tie can be the perfect additions to any family photo shoot. Stay in your color scheme and you will be amazed at how using accessories can make your session hip and fun.

Both of these sessions were done in the fall/winter months and I LOVE the chunky necklace and the scarves (and those suspenders...get outta town!). They add color, texture, fun and warmth!

Patterns can be perfect, if used carefully

Patterns can be a very scary commitment for a family session. I understand. You have to be careful with strong graphic prints, but they can add a lot of personality to your family pictures.

With that being said...don't go crazy. Keep your pattern prints to a tasteful minimum and use them as an accent not a foundation.

The beautiful floral pattern of her dress brings brightness and color to their color scheme. The grey and white polka-dot is more understated but still adds interest and personality to this sassy girls pictures!

Keep your location in mind  

This is something that is very important but gets overlooked. If you are shooting in the middle of a wheat field your options for colors and patterns are much more open than if you choose to shoot in front of a bright wall or a building covered in graffiti.

If your location has a ton of personality then I recommend using mellow colors, skip the strong patterned prints, and go easy on the accessories.

Keeping your location in mind will help you narrow down your clothing options.

The black and pink are perfect for this nature setting. They are fun and bright and draw your attention. On the other hand, it was smart to keep the colors to a minimum when shooting in front of this awesome (and colorful) graffiti.

Finally, have fun with it!

Don't overthink it! There are millions of ways to make your photo session exude the personality of your family. While I do think it's important to consider your clothing choices I definitely do not think it's the most important aspect of a family photo session. Come and have a great time and you will love your family pictures regardless of what your mob is wearing!

What are some of your favorite accessories to make your photo session unique and personalized?!

Shoot ya Later :)

The Other Side of the Lens, the Client Experience: The Blankensteins

Hey there Humbletakes Fam!

I'm happy to see y'all here! I am also happy to report that I have something very special in store for you. I am starting a new series. Y'all always get to hear my side of the story. You hear me rant and rave about my amazing clients, but you never get the other side. You never get to hear first hand accounts of what it is actually like working with me or how my clients feel about their pictures/session. Well. Now you do. I would love to present you with my first installment of "The Other Side of the Lens, the Client Experience"! 

You get to hear from some of my previous clients completely honestly and unedited. I love these posts because I feel so connected to my clients. I mean, taking pictures of a young family year after year or capturing someones wedding day is extremely intimate. My clients are my extended family. I love them. Truly.

I especially love watching a young family grow not only in age but also in size. I've been shooting the Blankenstein family since they only had two little blond haired blue eyed beauties. They now have four! FOUR wonderful kiddos...and I've had the honor to watch them grow up and be part of their lives in such an incredible way.

Unfortunately, I do not live near this wonderful family any more so our sessions are a little more spread out. Regardless, every time I see them all of the munchkins run up with huge smiles and give me the best bear hugs a girl could ask for. I love these kids. And I love watching them grow up into such awesome medium sized humans...can't wait for when they're full sized humans to see what amazing things they will do.

What was it like working with Melissa?

We have worked with a number of different photographers, and sincerely feel like Melissa is the best!  Not only is she easy and flexible to work with beginning to end, she has such an amazing energy.  It is super important to me to see genuine smiles in my kids pictures, and I have found out over the years that not every photographer can elicit that.  I feel like the older the kids get, the more they unfortunately have to 'fake' their smiles.  Well, it was even more obvious to me this year (2016) since it had been 3 years of not using Melissa.  We no longer lived by her and had to venture out to different photographers.  You know how sometimes you don't know how good something is until it's gone?  Well, that's what i'm trying to say.  So, this year was no different....as soon as Melissa starts a photo session, all of my kids (ages 4-13) are captivated by her sincere excitement and happy energy.  We tend to laugh a lot, and before we know it, the session is over and once again my precious munchkins have been captured as their genuine selves.

What are some of your favorite things you've done with you pictures?

I love to get big prints (16x20) of each of my kids to hang on the wall in our home.  I love closeup head shots so I can document and preserve how much they change from year to year.  I'm big on keeping record and love looking back throughout the years and being reminded of how important it is to enjoy the moment because time flies.  For me, it can be easy to look forward to a certain milestone coming up and think..."life will be a bit easier then..", but again, looking back on great pictures helps remind me how precious these memories we're making now are and to just soak it up.  So, I guess that what I'm saying is that the other thing i really like doing with my pictures is to use the digital images and put them in a scrapbook.

What is one of your favorite pictures or photo session that Melissa has taken and why?

I have a couple memorable photo sessions.  When my kids were young, we went up in the mountains by a bridge and got some good shots.  My youngest was only 10 months old and sometimes that's a tricky age because they need to be full and rested in order to find those happy smiles.  I love the picture of her looking up, showing her only 2 teeth and chubby cheeks as she's giggling. This was a great photo session because we could be ourselves and get those genuine smiles I love.

Another year, I was slow in getting organized and it was already late in the year before we got things scheduled.  We had bad luck with weather, and had to reschedule once and then after thinking we'd need to reschedule a second time because of snow, we decided we could make it work in our own backyard in the show.  Even though the brightness of the snow was almost blinding to our blue eyes, they turned out amazing.  

I love my oldest (age 8) in this session who looks like she's ready to laugh and is proudly showing off her 4 missing teeth. It didn't matter that we were using the old wooden fence right in our backyard, because it only added to the beauty of the picture.  There were even a couple serious faces in this session that turned out pretty.  

My 5 year old in black and white looking right at the camera, and me staring off into the distance with a snow covered tree in the background.  This was a great session because even though the location and timing wasn't what we planned, the kids were happy, cooperative and Melissa got some great pictures as usual because she was happily pulling those smiles and beauty out of us. 

Thank you so much, Janelle! And thank YOU, Humbletakes Fam for taking the time to get to know my wonderful friends, the Blankensteins!

Shoot ya Later :)