Little Keepsakes Photography

Keep meaning to get the family together for a portrait?  What better time than now!  You'll get beautiful portraits AND get your Christmas cards checked off the list!! 

- Holiday Portraits: $125 {25 custom greeting cards included, additional set of 25 cards available for $21 per set} (1h shoot, all touched-up), all ages

- Holiday Portraits: $100 {1 high resolution image emailed to client so that may use their own printing company} (1h shoot, all touched-up), all ages

Still putting off those kids' or family portraits? Don't want to pack up those kiddos and wait in line for your turn at your local photo studio? I will come to YOU! Book your photo shoot by September 30th for $100 for up to 1hr on location or in your home (within 25miles). We can shoot at Borderland State Park, Scusset Beach or your favorite spot. Print packages sold separately or a la carte. Book by September 30th for photo shoots from September 15- November 30th.

You've stocked the nursery with only the best diapers, clothes, and toys -- there's no way you're skimping on baby's first photo. For a portrait worthy of your precious one, look no further than today's deal: Pay $125 for a one-hour newborn photo session, plus 50 custom birth announcements. I will come to your home, within 30 miles of Boston (travel cost additional if further), and capture your little one's first moments with artistry and ease -- perfect for the custom birth announcements.

SPRING INTO SUMMER with some quality family portraits! $100 for up to 1hr, on location (within 25miles). Free (1) 8x10 (2) 5x7's. Additional packages can be purchased separately. Offer expires by June 30th.

ONLY 2 weeks left to book your photoshoot for our ****SPRING SPECIAL***** $100 for up to 1hr shooting on location (within 20miles) 1 free 8x10 and 2 5x7's. Additional prints or print packages may be purchased separately. Offer expires May 31st

1.     Let me know as soon as possible after birth (or before if you have a scheduled birth) to schedule your newborn session.  It is recommended that newborns be photographed within the first 10 days after birth with 14 days being the maximum age to achieve sleepy portraits, though I can photograph your baby at any age.  Your session will be taken at your home or at my home studio.

2.     Have your home warm by either setting the thermostat to 80-85 degrees or have a space heater nearby (I can bring mine if you let me know ahead of time).  Babies like the white noise space heaters make. 

3.     If you would like to incorporate any items into the session (heirlooms, toys, blankets, pictures of desired poses, etc.) please have them gathered and ready before the session.

4.     Loosen your baby’s diaper 30 minutes before the session.  This makes diaper removal easier and minimizes imprints left from the diaper.

5.     30-minutes to 1 hour before I arrive, try to keep baby engaged and awake to get their energy used and help them become sleepy for their session time.

6.     Make sure baby has a full belly before I arrive.  If you breastfeed (but also use bottle) it may help to have a bottle of pumped milk or formula available to top baby off if baby has issues falling asleep during the session.

7.     After the baby is fed, make sure they are burped really well, because gas can make a sleepy baby irritable and unable to fully fall asleep.

8.     A mother’s smell is so recognizable (and sometimes distracting) to a baby, that it may be necessary for the mom to leave the room for portions of the session. This is not meant to hurt your feelings, but only to allow me to get the baby thinking sweet sleepy dreams, instead of hungry “where’s my milk?” dreams.

9.     If there is ever a point where you’re uncomfortable with the poses, simply let me know. I only want to do poses and shots that you are comfortable with.

10.  Be patient and flexible if baby gets fussy or alert.  Keep the environment as mellow as possible because the baby can sense your anxiety.  We will try to get the baby comfortable again, but sometimes that is not possible.  We can take feeding/rocking breaks and if that doesn’t work, I will be flexible and work with what the baby’s giving me.  Some of the best portraits are captured when the baby isn’t cooperating.  When this occurs, I will usually switch to the more interactive parent/baby portraits as cuddling helps calm a fussy baby.

Why are Professional Photographers so expensive?

This article has been very well received by the photography community, and is published in the December 2009 edition of Professional Photographer Magazine.

In this digital age where everyone has cameras, scanners, and home "photo printers," we hear this all the time: How do professional (or personal) photographers charge $X for an 8x10 when they cost just $1.50 at the drugstore? Simply put, the customer is not just paying for the actual photograph; they're paying for time and expertise.

The average one-hour portrait session

First, let's look at the actual work involved:

Travel to the sessionSetup, preparation, talking to the client, etc.Shoot the photosTravel from the sessionLoad images onto a computer Back up the files on an external drive2 - 4 hours of Adobe® Photoshop® time, including cropping, contrast, color, sharpening, and backing up edited photographs. Proof photos are also ordered.2 - 3 hours to talk to the client, answer questions, receive order and payment, order their prints, receive and verify prints, package prints, schedule shipment, and ship.Possibly meet clients at the studio to review photos and place order. Meeting and travel time average 2 hours. You can see how a one-hour session easily turns into an eight-hour day or more from start to finish. So when you see a personal photographer charging a $200 session fee for a one-hour photo shoot, the client is NOT paying them $200 per hour.

The expertise and cost of doing business

Shooting professional photography is a skill acquired through years of experience. Even though a DSLR now costs under $1,000, taking professional portraits involves much more than a nice camera.

Most personal photographers take years to go from buying their first camera to making money with photography. In addition to learning how to use the camera, there is a mountain of other equipment and software programs used to edit and print photographs, run a website, etc. And don’t forget backdrops, props, rent, utilities, insurance, etc!

In addition to the financial investment, photographers actually have to have people skills to make subjects comfortable in front of the camera. Posing people to look their best is a skill by itself. You could argue that posing is a more important skill than actually knowing how to use the camera. A poorly exposed photo can be saved, but a badly posed photo cannot.

The chain store photo studio

Chain stores do have their place. For a very cheap price you can run in, shoot some quick photos, and be done with it. But you get what you pay for.

Consider the time and effort that a personal photographer puts into photographs, compared to a chain store. Store sessions last just a few minutes, while a personal photographer takes the time to get to know the people, makes them comfortable, makes them laugh. If a baby is crying at a chain store, they often don’t have the time (or the patience) to wait because everyone is in a hurry.

The truth is that many chain store studios lose money. In fact, Wal-Mart closed 500 of their portrait studios in 2007 because of the financial drain. What the chain stores bank on is a client coming in for quick, cheap photos…and while there, spending $200 on other items. They are there to get you in the door.

The real deal

Professional, personal photographers are just that—professionals. No different than a mechanic, dentist, doctor, or electrician. But a personal photographer often becomes a friend, someone who documents a family for generations with professional, personal photographs of cherished memories.

Maybe we need to help clients look at it this way: A pair of scissors costs $1.50 at the drugstore. Still, most people will gladly pay a lot more to hire a professional hair dresser to cut their hair.

The added attention and quality that a personal photographer gives is worth every penny.

Conclusion

We hope that those who have taken the time to read this page will have a better understanding of why professional photographs, created by a Personal Photographer are so expensive.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

The best time for you to schedule your photo session is when you are in your 7th or 8th month of pregnancy. During this time, your belly will be glorious!!  If you wait until the last couple of weeks you could become more uncomfortable and even swollen.

The day of your photo session don't wear anything tight-fitting.  You will want to avoid anything that will leave marks on your belly.  Skip the socks as they can leave the elastic impression around your ankles. 

Apply lotion at least an hour before your session to avoid the shiny belly-look.

Don't forget to moisturize your knees and elbows.

Avoid rubbing lotions on your belly before the shoot. You don't want the light to bounce off the shiny surface of your belly.

Hands and feet are in important, too! Get a mani/pedi or a light polish for a more finished look in a close up of your hands around your belly.

Wear only essential jewelry.  You should avoid anything that will draw attention away from your glowing belly.

You may want to include a few baby things like a cute pair of shoes or a cherished family heirloom in your portrait.

Try to stick to solid colored shirts so that the focus will be on your belly's glowing expression.

Avoid big floral prints, swirls, plaids and stripes. Large patterns distract.

Black clothing gives you a slim silhouette.  Bring a change of clothes for different poses. 

When choosing ways to show your style, consider a bright scarf, or sweater - even chunky jewelry can add fun splashes of color.

What should you wear? Many women choose to go au natural, or at least topless with a pair of cute undies. If you're on the shy side, try to choose a fitted top that accentuates the bust line and belly. If your clothes are too big, your belly will not be highlighted, and that's the main idea of these pictures. Right? If you hate your preggie jeans, bring a pair of regular jeans and unzip them. That looks really cute with a tank top or a bikini top. Be adventurous! You don't get a lot of opportunities to take these kinds of photos!

Last, but not least, allow yourself an extra hour in case the shoot runs late.  The last thing you want is to rush on your photo shoot.  Maternity shoots are much like weddings, you typically don't re-shoot them.  It's a one-time gig, so why rush it?  Enjoy yourself and the photographs will show it!

1.Coordinate outfits. Everybody in the portrait should wear items that complement each other in style and color. It is not necessary for all clothes to match, but they must make sense together. If grandpa wears a suit and tie and grandma wears shorts and a t-shirt, the portrait may look unbalanced and poorly planned.

2 Pick clothes appropriate to the portrait's setting. An outdoor portrait with a backdrop of fall leaves lends itself to casual clothing like khakis and crisp white shirts, or jeans and sweaters. A studio portrait with a plain colored background lends itself more to formal or semi-formal attire.

3 Stick to solids and subtle patterns. Bold stripes, large designs and polka dots stand out and tend to draw attention from the portrait's subject. An eclectic mix of patterns can clash and reduce the quality of a portrait.

4 Dress in timeless clothing for your family portrait. Let your age, rather than the clothes you wear, date the portrait.

5 Have appropriate shoes and socks. Many family portraits are full-body shots, so if you wear sneakers with your dress, you'll probably feel silly. If you plan to change clothes, bring shoes and socks to go with each outfit.

6 Wear colors that translate well through photography. Dark colors like navy blue, black and earth tones look especially nice outdoors. White clothing can get lost against a white background, and dark clothing against a pastel provides nice contrast. Bright shades of yellow, orange and pink can alter skin tones and are not ideal for photographs.

7 Clean and iron all clothing before the portrait. If your clothes wrinkle easily, change just before the sitting. Bring wrinkle release spry and a detergent pen to the portrait site for last-minute emergencies.

Had a blast today with my little models!  The kids truly were a joy to shoot.  They were all very patient and cooperative!  Overall, a success!