Sibling Portraits | Rochester, NY Modern Family Photographer

This is the busiest time of year for child & family portraits! I met this family earlier this year for little guy's 1 year portraits & cake smash (so much fun!!) and they're another department store convert, yay!

Having an older sibling along with any kids in the 1-3 range is always good, and this big brother was especially helpful. He was so aware of the camera & ready all the time so I could get the shot when the little guy was ready.

Mom and I spent a lot of emails earlier in the week discussing what she wanted from the session - minimal props (and whether she could bring along a family heirloom sleigh - yes!), black background, and specifically a request for a nice face close up. She even sent me some sample photos she liked that she found online! Awesome!

I didn't realize I got this shot when it was happening, but it's my absolute favorite from the day:


Big brother missed his school portait this year so we grabbed a few also:


Another cute one together - wait maybe this one is my favorite, haha:


And just to bring a smile to your day here's a funny one:


Great to see you guys again, and I'm looking forward to their outdoor session next spring. Can we just skip winter and do it now?? :-)

Sibling Portraits | Rochester, NY Modern Family Photographer

This adorable little family is related to another one of my clients, and had previously tried a session at a department store. Needless to say it was frustrating, and their relative pursuaded them to give me a try. I love department store converts, lol!

A perfect example of how super cute outfits can influence a shot.... this is one of my favorites of the three of them together (which was not an easy feat!!). If you're a facebook fan you saw this same shot posted there, but edited in a different way.



I always like to get some individual shots too. Big brother wasn't giving up smiles easily, but I love how he can't contain the smile in his eyes!


Little brother is at a great age for photos, where he doesn't run away and digs my silly humor. Adorable!


Little sister was none too happy with me but we got a few shots before the tears arrived!


I couldn't resist a brothers shot in those matching hats... could it be any cuter???


Thanks for giving me a try, and I hope you enjoy the preview!!

Junior Portraits | Rochester, NY Modern Portraits

Today I had a session with a beautiful girl whose family I've known since I was a little girl. Somehow she's a teenager now (and I'm old, lol). Working very hard to accomplish her goal of graduating high school early, she's tackling Junior & Senior year at the same time! So these were the practice run for next summer's full-blown senior portrait session :-)

Seriously, every frame... GORGEOUS. Her mom asked about glamour processing that they saw on a friend's portraits, so I'm showing this first image in a traditional edit, and glamour edit. The difference is subtle (especialy on a face without any blemishes!) but it just makes the skin glow a little!

Traditional:


Glamour:


A few of my other favorites...



Mom wanted a few shots of them together. I took some traditional ones, but for the last few shots I asked for a little creative license. I wanted mom a bit out of focus in the background for a cool looking-thru-time effect. See where she gets her good looks?? UM HELLO, THIS IS FIERCE!



It was fun girls, hope you enjoy the preview & I'll let you know as soon as the gallery is ready!!

Looking ahead to 2010

Wow, I can't believe we're only about 6 weeks away from the end of the year. It hardly seems possible! This year I learned a lot... motherhood is not only the most profound thing I've done on a personal level, but it has helped me grow in a big way professionally too. NOW I GET IT, MOMS.

I learned the studio waiting room needed to be more child-friendly, with less clutter and more toys (which are cleaned obsessively!).

I learned what kids can do at what ages, and how that translates into capturing great images.

I learned that from the time kids are walking until about 4, the session will be hectic, but we'll still get the shots.

I learned that outdoor sessions can be a great option for busy little ones because they can run around and have fun.

I learned that sometimes it's useful to put the camera on a tripod and use the remote trigger.

I learned that some props work well, some don't work at all, and there are some I still need to get.

I learned more techniques to enhance your photos.

I learned that I love bouncing ideas off my new photographer friend (DAILY).

And I learned that there are some changes I want to make for next year!

(That was a really long ramble, so if you're still reading, THANKS, lol. And now for the interesting part that you might actually care about...)

I'll be announcing the first 2010 change (well this is actually an ADDITION) as a sneak peek on the D'Marie Photography Facebook fan page ONLY on Black Friday, November 27th. ARE YOU A FAN YET? Find the icon right here on the blog and become a fan today!

Family Portraits | Rochester, NY Modern Family Photographer

This is my 2nd family with triplets!! And my hat goes off to them because I can only imagine how much work that is! With the kids being under 3, it was a very busy session. The only other time they've attempted a family photo was about 2 years ago, at Sears, and mom said it was a disaster. Sadly not a surprise, I hear this A LOT from new clients. The big chains rush you in and rush you out and it's exasperating for everyone.

It may not be any easier for me to capture the shot with kids this age, but at least the EXPERIENCE is much easier :-)

This is my favorite family shot from the day, with the little guy in the middle even smiling! YAY!!


What you should know about this shot is, when I first saw it I was SO BUMMED because it was almost perfect. Except mom's eyes were closed! Lesson for my clients: I'm very determined at every session to get the perfect family photo, at least one worthy of your wall, even if it takes a little photoshop work to swap out a head, lol. Here's the original shot:


The kids didn't sit for long up on the trunk, and the reason I was so excited that little guy in the blue shirt was smiling in the shot above, was because he was not happy with me for the rest of the session. Case in point, haha:


Kids at this age only give you 15-20 minutes of attention before they are just DONE. Every client thinks it's their kids, and they apologize, but honestly it's every kid from 1-4. It's totally normal! So we gave the kids a break to play with the super cool microwave toy in the meeting room and took a few shots of mom & dad. They haven't had any pics taken since their wedding!!


I hope you enjoy the preview, and it was great to work with you!!