A Personal Project!

I really love newborn photography. I love the way babies smell, and coo, and the soft nosies they make when they’re snuggled. Sometimes I work on personal projects just for me, or my children. 

My teenager loves Pinterest, specifically supernatural memes- let me tell you I have learned more about Sam and Dean via memes than actually watching the show. Anyways, she found a photo of a girl stepping in a large book, like a fairy tale theme and asked if I could do that for her. “I have no idea. Let’s try”

We went out with no real plan and just started snapping away. 

I’m not even sure what went wrong. Sorry Love, back in the dress, grab the bug spray and back outside!!! This time we took it a little slower and started with the pieces separately. 

Once they were all together I had to spend some time with photoshop. 

Ok- So it still isn't "perfect" but it is definitely closer! At least this time she doesn't look like she shrunk!!!!

We're having a great time together trying new things and figuring out how to do this! Stay tuned over the next year to watch our progress with this project!!!

Shout Out to my Number One for such a great idea!!!

What NOT to wear to your session!!!

First, I would like to thank my friends from the bottom of my heart for agreeing to dress up and model for me!!! I love you all very much for your willingness to help!!!!!

Getting down to business. 

   

     Outfits that are comfortable are important because its easy to have fun and smile and be yourself when you're comfortable. Consider just HOW comfortable. 

Wardrobe malfunctions are unfortunate! It is your job and mine to make sure they don't happen! When you look back at your portraits undergarments aren't what you want to see!!!

   

 

 Patterns and colors that celebrate your style are important! Clothing that “matches” or “go together” help flow the mix of colors in the image. BUT, They can’t be so scattered they look off! Patterns must live in harmony with each other!

You spend so much time looking for the PERFECT dress and you look AMAZING! BUT... AHHHHH WHAT ARE THOSE??????

Sometimes we get so caught up looking for the perfect outfit we forget about what we plan to put on our feet! 

 We can fix this! Just lose them all together. Shoes are over rated anyways. 

                                  ALL BETTER!

     

     Make-up is important for many women, it can enhance features to make women look and feel amazing and even more beautiful. However, if you don’t typically wear a lot... the birth of your baby is not the time to start wearing a massive amount.   

     When you look back at your session what do you want to remember? If its not a make-up style you don't wear every day, maybe its best to save this look for another time!

All one color isn't ideal! Show off your personal style, and if you're personal style is all black/all red/all yellow consider some pops of color! Bright jewelry in coordinating colors, hair pieces, a scarf-- other things to bring some colors and help your personality shine through. 

AND LAST but NOT least... For the LOVE of photographers sanity everywhere PLEASE take the hair band OFF of your wrists!!!!!!!! 

(I totally did this myself for my last family session! *Hides face in shame*)

     There is nothing like a great outfit, great pose, beautiful smile than getting home, opening the images in Photoshop and finding a hair tie on 546 images!!!!! 

Seriously friends, thank you for your help! There you have it folks, a few things NOT to wear for your photo session!!! 

Coming next week, What TO wear!!! 
Featuring: My Loving and happy to always help children! 

Dear Mama

Dear Mama, 

This week my family has been vacationing and one stop was to my in-laws home. The children laughed excitedly at old photos of their dad (convinced it was really them and we were teasing)!

     I noticed we didn’t have a ton of my mother in law with my husband. Plenty of dad and kids, but she wasn’t in a ton. So I asked. She said she didn’t because so many times she didn’t look how she wanted too, her hair wasn’t done, or clothes weren’t right. Her son, and my children don’t care, they just want to look back and remember her. When she is gone we won’t care if the photo we have is of her messy hair in the kitchen making breakfast, we just want to have something to look back at! I asked if she had a lot of her mom, same. We went to visit my dad and he said the same. My grandma just isn't in many at all. I can't remember her face, and I wish I had something a little more here and there to look back on. 

     Mamas, make sure you’re in photos with your children! Professionally (hint hint, I know a great one!) AND ask your husband, your friends to take some too! One day it won’t matter if your hair and make-up aren’t done, it won’t matter if you’re in pajamas. Go home and take photos of your mother against her will if you must. ;) 

Take the photo even if you have to ask a ten year old. 

Even if you have to ask a teenager who is pretending she doesn't know you. 

And especially ask your husband who has no idea how to work the zoom!! 

*Disclaimer: The photos in this blog do not represent the style of Flash Photo Studios, but they do represent Candice's life taken by her loving family. <3

Newborn Session Prep

Preparing for your newborn session

     The best time to begin planning your newborn session is while you’re still pregnant. Look at portfolios, and pricing and decide who fits your personal style and budget. Find a photographer you connect with personally and will enjoy working with. 
(I highly recommend myself!!!!)

     Ideally, I like to schedule them between 4 and 7 days old. They grow so quickly at this age, and we want to make sure we capture those first few days. Some say 12 days— In my humble opinion and experience it’s definitely 7. Can we do them older? Of course!! Any age is perfect to have their photos taken! (ok, except maybe not the cranky teenager… or maybe that’s just my girl)! If your vision is soft gentle curled up newborns however, 4 to 7 days. 

     While you’re still pregnant is the perfect time to have an in-person consult with your favorite photographer to discuss your vision for your session. If you have any personal items you’d like to include in the session as memorable items please mention. Many photographers (such as myself) have many prop options as well depending on what you have envisioned and your photographers style. 

      If you’d like older siblings in the session I think that is a great idea! In my studio I have a very large waiting room with a full toy box to keep busy while the new baby is being photographed, but it is also a good idea for another parent to attend so they’re able to play with them or take them home after their part with baby so they don’t have to wait. Because sometimes being three years old and waiting is super hard work. 

      Let’s talk about feeding that newborn squish! Have no fear, we have time to wait while you’re feeding your little one between shots because we understand the value of feeding on demand. Pumping isn’t for everyone and isn’t ideal for the first 3-6 weeks unless you’re exclusively pumping. Covered or uncovered, I want you to be comfortable while you’re enjoying your new littles session. Please do not feel like you must do anything special, we work on the babies time to make them as happy and comfortable as we can! Formula babies, same rules apply. They’ll eat when they’re hungry and we’re in the business to care for their needs. 

     I don’t like to set time limits on sessions, but the typical time is 2-3 hours. We want to make sure we get the shots you want, and if that takes three hours than that's how long it takes. 

     In my studio once your images are complete you come in to view them on my television from a (very comfy) couch and carefully choose which ones you want to bring home! Every photographer has a different style and methods for sessions, it is important to find the one who is right for your family. 

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About me.

I've gone back and forth about adding an "about me" section to my website. I suppose it is important to learn a little more about the person who will be spending time with you making your family happy for important life milestones.

So, This is me.

Thank you friend! AdemontPhotography.com for the awesome headshot! You're my favorite photog. (Other than me! duh!) 

My name is Candice! I love roses (more than Sour Patch Kids) and I have stunning (and clearly fake) red hair. I grew up in Florida and LOVE (in an almost obsession way) Florida Gator Football and the smell of the ocean. I highly dislike walking on the beach, it makes my feet hurt. I am an only children raised by my father and I don’t think we have a single “family photo,” and that makes me kind of sad. I have five children. Five. Biological all took up residency in my stomach for 10 months— children. I am very good at getting stubborn littles to smile. If you met my #3 you would understand!!

#3. Seriosuly, smile beautiful! (I took this one!!)

Growing up, my dad loved the TV show, Walker Texas Ranger— and I still know the entire theme song (if you ask I will sing it for you, but know I can’t carry a tune) “In the eyes of ranger, the unsuspecting stranger…” When I was in middle school I was convinced I was going to go to Norte Dame. Unforeseeable circumstances landed me at the local college, and, in hindsight, Northern winters aren’t for me!! My life goal was a career in photojournalism for a prominent New York newspaper – but, seriously Northern winters! Then, I met my husband and Jacksonville, North Carolina called our names…(or maybe it was the Marine Corps

I don’t cook and I am grateful to my husband who can, but I can bake bread from scratch. My children all attend the local Catholic school – Remember Norte Dame dreams? I have since passed that dream to them. On Sunday mornings, you can find me “soaking up the grace” in the cry room, because I can’t hear Mass over my loud and fiercely independent toddler. One day… I will miss the cry room, just not today.

Now, I take portraits of families and weddings and I love every second of it. Okay… Maybe not ALL of it… I could do without the taxes portion. My goal is to make families happy. I am talkative and loving, and occasionally hyper —I make a huge mess in my studio because my brain works faster than my arms and legs but I WILL get the shot I want! I love to meet everyone I can, and can’t wait to see how 2016 goes!!

Seriously Autumn, you have a way of making me look fabulous. 

What re-branding means to me.

I changed my logo. Again. This is the 4th time since I began Flash Photo Studios. I understood "branding," but I suppose not in the same way I do now.

I wanted something to feel warm, because I like to think I am. I wanted it to express who I am.

I have loved roses since I was a little girl. Not the beautiful bouquets in flower shops-- the kind still attached to the bush and growing wildly full of thorns and the amazing smell that try as people might, can't be reproduced. I prefer red to all things, but the color didn't fit with the green I had planned (Stems and leafs) So I went with different shades of pink. I love pink. I wrote my business name out on paper and began to doodle what I think I wanted it to look like.

 I thought I needed something that was VERY ME. I absolutely love my business name. It seems silly, but I love it and took so much time choosing I am quite attached to it. 

Flash. The first word is important not because the camera “flashes” when you take a photo, but because the moment and how it flashes by so quickly. For me raising children the days pass slow but the weeks fly by. I thought the first year of my oldest daughters life would take forever. She’s twelve. It happened so fast I swear I was present, but it just happened so fast! 

Photo. …because they’re photos. Seriously, that simple. 

Studios. I knew when I started this company I wanted a physical space. I love having a physical studio I can drive to every day and work with lighting and posing when the sun is to low, to high, hiding behind clouds or pouring down rain. I love having a place with all of the images that make me happy all around. One day, I hope there is more than one. 

Let’s get to the logo change. I started with a “frame” I wanted bright and fun colors so I chose blue and green. This made me happy for a few years, but I felt like I needed something more ME. 

My first thought was using the “O” is photo and making it a camera flash. That didn’t work out. It just didn’t look right. I wanted the font to be something I could relate to as well. Can you relate to a font? Well, I wanted too. I started doodling with letters, and photos. I LOVE roses. (We’ll get to that in a later post) 

I chose the flower bloomed and beautiful full of life and bright colors. I chose a font that looked as close to my handwriting as possible. I felt that was the closest way to get personal with something so simple. I hope you all like it!