Friday, December 17, 2010

New Borns | Jessica Lloyd Photography

So, I'm not very experienced at new born photography.  I've heard other photogs say that you really need to get their pics done in the first 10 - 14 days or you loose that new born "curl" that they have.  Wasn't sure what they were talking about...I learned yesterday.  The baby I photographed in November was about 12 days old, the one I did yesterday was almost 3 weeks.  It was gone.  Sad.  Got some cute pics of him, but not the kind I really wanted to do.  I'll have them edited soon, but I need to get approval from mom before I get to share them with you.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow.  We have a family Christmas Party tomorrow at my house.  I'm hosting, but I'm not in charge, so I'm gonna use all those tips I posted for you earlier and see if I can remember them all and get some better Christmas pics this year.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

In Home Studio | Jessica Lloyd Photography

A friend had a baby a few weeks ago.  Sounds like the perfect opportunity to try my hand a baby pictures again.  I just finished setting up my studio (ha, pvc pipe and a huge piece of white fabric) in my dining room, by the sliding glass door.  I'm pooped!  I remember why I don't want to do this in my home.  It's just exhausting.  I had to move the living room furniture to make room for the dining room furniture to make room for the studio.  Man, I wish this Crohn's didn't interfere so much with my energy levels. 

Anyway, coming soon...Baby Pictures!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Are you ready for Christmas yet? | Jessica Lloyd Photography | free session

Are you ready for Christmas yet?  I'm not.  I'm still working on my crazy, huge Mom's presents.  But the kids are done (besides the candy from Santa, if I buy that now, I'll be too tempted to eat it for them), my hubby is done, all the other relative are done, the angel tree gift just needs to be delivered.  I'm getting there.

I had quite a few facebook posts from people that are interested in helping me learn how to use my Christmas presents.  I'm offering a free session and one 8x10 for anyone willing to go out and play in the cold with me after Christmas.  If you are interested, email me at jessicatlloyd@gmail.com.  Tell me who you are, who I will be photographing, your phone number, best time to call, and when you are available after Christmas.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

My Birthday | Jessica Lloyd Photography | Magna Utah

 I just recently had a birthday.  As is typical for a birthday, I got out the camera, but since I can't take my own birthday pictures I offered it up to the family.  My eleven year old stepped in as family photographer for me.
 I love how she filled the frame with the bag...Great example of getting the details of an event!
 Money!  I got enough money that I'll probably be able to get a graphics tablet!!  Tough part is picking one!
That shiny blob is an earring.  I lost my favorite pair of earrings, so my mom bought me a pair that was very similar.  Guess what? Two days later I found the lost pair!  LOL!  Isn't that just how life is?

The settings I use on my camera for my super shaky daughter are usually geared toward higher shutter speeds than what you'd usually use.  She set it this time.  She used the portrait mode (low shutter speed, big aperture) and the flash compensated for her shake.  I have a Gary Fong diffuser on my pop up flash.

Oh, oh, oh, my Christmas present from my mom came yesterday!  I'm getting a 5 in one reflector, 42 inch and an arm to attach it to my light stands!!  Woohoo!  Too bad I have to wait until Christmas to use it.  My mom hates shopping on the internet, but usually that's where you can get the best deals on photography supplies, so I ordered it for her and had it shipped here, so that I could make sure what came was what was right (and so I could check it out :-D).  She's coming to get it and wrap it. Can't wait to try it out!  Anyone want to schedule a session?  I have no idea how to really use the beast and I'm gonna need practice. 

Monday, December 13, 2010

Halloween Winner's Session | Family Portraits | Murray UT



Such a cute family!  I loved working with the Ostler family.  Hunter was a blast...that kid doesn't like to sit still, so curious and full of energy!  It was so easy to see how much these brother's love each other.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

How to take pictures of puppies | Photo tips |Jessica Lloyd Photography

Yesterday's post brought up a request for how to take pictures of a puppy.  Well, since I've got rather limited experience with puppies, I thought I'd just give you the little bit of info I did pick up when I took dog pictures and add a few links for you to go read up.

First I recommend that you use a fast shutter speed.  If you are shooting in automatic, then the best way to insure that you are using a fast shutter speed is to take the pictures in really well lit space.

Second, have someone stand behind you to draw the animals attention.  They should be holding a treat or a favorite toy that can be used to reward the dog when it behaves the way you want it.

Remember puppies and babies/toddlers are really similar and you can use just about any trick you would use on a toddler on a puppy.  Have someone hold the puppy, follow the puppy and snap pics as you can and hope for a good one, distract them with treats/toys/funny noises.

Here are a few links to web articles by people who know more about this than I do.
Puppy Photo Tips
More Puppy Photo Tips
And one more

Friday, December 10, 2010

Tips for Successful Holiday photographs | Jessica Lloyd Photography | Photo Tips | How To

It's getting really close to Christmas, so I thought I'd share a few tips to help you get better pics.


1. Take the camera with you. :)  Be sure to have the battery charged or take extras.  Same goes for memory cards. Most of our Holiday pictures are taken inside or out in the dark night.  Be sure you have a flash and use it (bounce it if you can or use a diffuser to soften it).

2. Assign someone to take pictures.  You know how you divide up the food assignments and activities?  Do the same with pictures.

3. White Balance.  Do you ever get pictures where the color is just off?  Maybe the walls are yellow or blue instead of the white they really are.  It's the white balance.  Most cameras have a setting for white balance and the icons typically look like a sun, clouds, a light bulb, etc. That's your white balance.  If your auto white balance isn't getting the colors right you need to set it manually.  So if you are in a house with incandescent lighting, choose the corresponding setting.  If you are in an office/church with florescent lighting, pick that one.  If it still doesn't work out, you can always fix it in post processing, but that's a whole other tutorial.

4. What to photograph?  Besides everyone at the party?  The food.  The preparations.  The decorations (use the macro setting).  The gifts. The baby throwing a tantrum.  Declutter you images by choosing one thing to be the focal point and fill the frame.  Christmas pictures can be overwhelming because there is so much going on in them.  Instead of taking a picture of the whole event taking place, get the parts individually.  When you take pictures of opening presents, use the burst setting to take multiple shots at once, that way you won't miss those great fleeting expressions.

5. Christmas lights are fun, but they can be tricky to get them to look good in pictures.  The time of the day is key here.  Too late and all you get are the lights and everything else goes black.  Too early and the lights don't show up at all. Sunset is prime. Compose so that you get lots of sky and shoot from a low angle (lay in the snow and have someone take a picture of you taking a picture LOL).  Use the Tungsten white balance setting, if you have one.  It will make the lights pop and give your sky an beautiful royal blue color.  You'll need to use a long shutter speed and no flash, so a tripod or a bean bag to balance the camera on will be helpful. If that's not available, use both hands and brace yourself on something.  Once you've got the setup all right, take shots about every two minutes until the light is just right. It will happen somewhere between when sunset starts and dark.  That's a very short window of time, so you'll need to get set up either a bit before sunset, or really quickly.  The best time to get this shot is before when they look the best to your eye, so don't worry about missing out on the view because you've been messing with your camera, you'll get to see the best lights.

6. Group photos are best taken at the beginning of an event when everyone is fresh and still cooperative, before the kids are tired and cranky.

Happy Shooting!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

I love my new phone!

I finally talked my husband into upgrading our phones and plan.  I'm loving it!  I'm sure I'm not gonna love the bill, but this is fun having the internet on my phone.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Baby Smith | Jessica Lloyd Photography | Magna UT | Portraits



Babies are not my thing...but I couldn't help myself when this one came along.  I'm very happy with the way these turned out.  This was my third baby session ever and I finally feel like I know what to do!

This cutie is my daughters' half sister.  She's about 10 days old here.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Magna Sub for Santa | Magna UT | Charity | Christmas

Magna Sub For SantaRan by Magna Fact: A Charitable non-profit organization


For 17 years Magna Fact has helping families in need and this year the need is even greater. The number of families requesting help has doubled.


Magna Sub For Santa has a Christmas tree in the Magna Post Office with over 100 children's names on it. These children all qualify as Poverty Stricken. They won't be getting Christmas gift without our help. Imagine a small child waking up on Christmas morning and running to the tree only to discover that Santa didn't visit their home. It breaks my heart to think about it.


Please be Mr. or Mrs. Clause to a child this year. Be their hero. Go to the Magna Post office and choose a child's name and make this Christmas Magical.


You can contact Kathy Webb if you need more information. 801-250-4811

Crop Because You Care Auction Session | Jessica Lloyd Photography | Newly Weds | Murray UT | Wheeler Farm



I try to find organizations that support worthy causes to donate sessions too.  This session was donated to the Crop Because You Care.  The Crop Because You Care is an annual scrapbooking crop.  The proceeds from it go to the Epilepsy Foundation.  This Session was Auctioned at the 2010 Crop Because You Care.  This cute couple are newly weds.  They wanted something fun and casual.  Wheeler Farm is an excellent location for fun and casual!  For those of you who want to take your clients there, or just want to take your family there for fun, remember it is a working farm and to be respectful of those who are there to take care of the animals.

Monday, December 6, 2010

The Meaning of Family Photographs

 I found an interesting website article this morning and thought I'd share it with you.  It reads like a research paper, but it had some cool tidbits about family photographs and what they mean to us as a society.  There is a part where it talks about how there are more pics with the first kid than with subsequent kids.  That was true at our house, until we went digital...now there are TONS of pics of all three of my kids.  I did really well at getting my first child's portraits taken at regular intervals, but the other two have less professional ones done.  Did you do that too?

Another part that I found interesting was that photographs can be therapeutic.  They can help with memory loss.  I have a friend who fell and hit her head recently and she's really struggling to remember things.  I hope she has lots of pictures to help her along her journey of recovery.

Anyway, it was kinda fun to read about photos and how they impact our lives.  If you get a minute, take a look.  I've attached a link to the article.

Meaning of Family Photographs

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Christmas Shopping

When do you start Christmas shopping?  When do you finish?  In a perfect world, I start my Christmas shopping the week between Christmas and New Year's.  But really I try to start about July.  I'm almost done...but I've got one person on my list that is so HARD to shop for.  Do you have one of those?  I've got a great idea for you...Gift Certificate for Custom Portrait Photography.  Contact me and I'll hook you up!

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Camo Nintendo DS Lite

I have a son, he's 7.  His favorite thing in the world is Camouflage.  He's getting a Nintendo DS Lite for Christmas.  I couldn't find one in Camo, so I bought him a black one.  I went to this great sign store in Salt Lake City and bought a sheet of Camo vinyl.  I used my Silhouette to cut out the vinyl to fit his DS!  He's getting a Camo DS!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Huge increase in hits!

I've had a huge increase in hits on my blog.  Kinda surprised me, so I looked into what had happened to create this...It's so sad!  A Jessica Lloyd in Canada was lost and it looks she was murdered and the guy has been caught.  There's a short article here about her.  So if you've accidentally made it to my page looking for information about her, I just want to say how sorry I am about your loss.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

My latest project






Last summer we bought a used camper trailer.  We loved it.  The family that owned it before us were so careful and took such good care of it.  This summer we had an accident with it.  We had a problem with the brakes, wind, and being on a hill, which lead to us being off the road and backwards with the trailer on its side.  The insurance company was great and got us a check so quickly, but it was for much less than what we had paid for the trailer and we weren't able to replace it with one as nice.  But, we found one that we love.  The cushions were pretty squashed in it.  It was rather uncomfortable to sleep on the queen bed.  So, I bought some new foam for it.  Since I was going to have to basically rip apart the old cushions to put in the new foam, I thought I'd just make new ones in colors I like...red and blue!  So, I spent about two weeks sewing (something I learned from my mom when I was REALLY little and have done for many years, but not much recently).  I finally got all the cushions and curtains finished last night.  Thanks to my DH's help, I was also able to replace the trim pieces on the benches.  Can't wait to take it out camping again!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Wonderful Blog post by Zack Arias and Pizza | Jessica Lloyd Photography | Utah photographer

I just stumbled upon this post by Zack Arias. You can read his post here. It is a wonderful post about why and when cheap photography is good for the market.  As I was reading it I was thinking about where I want to be in the photography market.  He makes some comparisions to cars.  I was thinking food.

So here's my thoughts....
Pizza.
So you can get a pizza for as little as a buck, with a coupon, on sale at the grocery store frozen food section. In photography, that would be like getting your portraits done at Walmart, with a coupon.
But that's not where I want to be.
Then there are the cheap fast food guys...Dominos, Five Buck, etc, all taste about the same, not super yummy, but will do when you need food fast and cheap.  That's like going to Sears, JCPenny, Target...they all look the same.  Very sterile, posed pictures and won't break the budget. 
Again, not where I want to be.
You can get a pizza at Pappa Murphey's under $10.  Some are more, gourmet, even specialty.  But, you have to take it home and finish cooking it.  This is like the photographer who does the session and gives you a CD of all the images.  Could be as cheap as $50.  The photographs may be edited, maybe not.  But you have to finish them.  Likely, they will just sit on the disk or your computer forever and never make it to your walls.
Not where I want to be.  I did do this for a while, but it wasn't satisfying.  I do still offer all the images on a CD, if that's what you want, but it's not my bread and butter.
Then there are the nicer Pizza places, where you go in, a waiter brings you a menu.  You get to choose from all kinds of pizza, lasagna, spaghetti, etc.  You get some garlic bread to munch on while you wait.  The pizza is made especially for you, fresh.  The waiter brings it to you, refills your drink, asks if you need anything else, comes back in a few minutes to check to see if you are happy with it.  This pizza costs more, but it's still reasonably priced.  It's super yummy.  When you are done the waiter brings you a box to put the leftovers in and asks if you'd like anything else, dessert maybe. The waiter's service is awesome and you leave a nice tip.
That's where I want to be.  I want to give you awesome customer service.  I want to give you custom pictures that don't look like everyone elses.  I want you to LOVE your pictures.  I want you to tell all your friends and family how awesome your pictures are.  I want you to display them in your home.  I'll even come over and help you pick out where they should go, if you want me to.  So, to be able to do that I have to charge more than that other photographer that charges $50 for the CD and the session.
There are other places you can get pizza that cost much more.  There is a pizza place in London that costs over a hundred for one pie.  It has truffles on it.
I don't want to be that place either.  I don't want to be so extravagant that only the rich can afford me.  I want to be accessable to all who value photography as art.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Diesel and His Mommy | Salt Lake City Photographer | Animal | Dog | Jessica Lloyd Photography






This was my first Doggie session!  This is Diesel and his mommy (see any family resemblance? This is my baby sister).  Gotta say Diesel was a pure gentleman during the whole session...well, expect for the time he wanted to eat the rooster.  I was a bit hesitant to do a dog session, but it went really well.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Halloween and Herriman Fire | Salt Lake City Portrait Photographer

Just a reminder that tomorrow is the last day to send in you Halloween Pictures for the Halloween Contest.  I know it feels super early to be thinking about Halloween, but by the time the contest is over it'll be just enough time left to get your Halloween portraits done and back from the print lab before Halloween.  Here's a link fort hose of your who haven't yet seen the Halloween Contest.

There is a HUGE fire burning about 20 miles from my house.  It has displaced between 1500 and 2000 families and closed down many schools.  Many firefighters are on the sceen working on it, but it is still not contained. Please keep them in your prayers. Click here for more info.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Hot Momma Contest Winner Portraits | Salt Air | Salt Lake City Utah


We had so much fun doing this session!  It was such a beautiful sunny morning!  Thank you Sandra!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Contact Jessica Lloyd Photography

Halloween Contest | Salt Lake City UT | Family portraits

Jessica Lloyd Photography is hosting a Halloween Contest! Beginning Sept.16, 2010 you will be able to submit a photo of your favorite Halloween picture (must have at least one person in the picture) and the winner will receive a free photo session with Jessica Lloyd Photography, as well as 25% off all prints, and 3 digital images to share of your choice. Here are the details:






TO ENTER

* One entry per family.

* You must have permission from those in the picture.

* You must have permission/rights to use the photo you enter. Professional portraits are accepted, if you have permission from the photographer to use the picture in this way.

* Photo must have been taken in the last 18 months.

* Photos will be accepted from 9/16/2010 to 9/21/2010 via e-mail.

* Only photos e-mailed to jessicatlloyd@gmail.com with the Subject line HALLOWEEN CONTEST during the previously mentioned days will be accepted.

* Include first names of those in the picture in the e-mail, your name and your phone number and the best time to reach you.

*The picture with the most "Like's" will be the winner.

* Contest open to everyone, however if you live outside of a 30 mile radius from Magna, UT, you must choose a location within 30 miles of Magna, UT, for your prize shoot, or a travel fee will be charged of 85 cents per mile, each direction, beyond 30.

*The winner must be available to have a pre-session consultation on 9/28, 9/29, or 9/30. Session must take place no later than 10/12/2010. To be entered in the contest you must let Jessica Lloyd Photography know which day and a time when you are available for the pre-session consultation.

HOW PHOTOS WILL BE JUDGED

* All entries will be uploaded into an album by Jessica Lloyd Photography no later than 9/22/2010, on the Jessica Lloyd Photography Facebook fan page.

* To vote for a photo you MUST be a 'fan' (or under the new Facebook system 'like') Jessica Lloyd Photography.

* Click 'like' for the photo you are voting for in the Jessica Lloyd Photography album labeled Halloween Contest.

* Photo with the most 'likes' will be the winner. Comments permitted, but WILL NOT count towards the total number of votes.

* Jessica Lloyd Photography will verify that all 'likes' of the winning photo come from Jessica Lloyd Photography Facebook fans, 'likes' from non-fans will not be counted.

* Voting will close 9/27/2010 at 10:00 pm MST.

* Official winner will be notified and announced no later than 9/27/2010 midnight.



WHAT YOU WILL WIN

* The photo that receives the most 'likes' will receive a free photo session with Jessica Lloyd Photography, 25% off all prints, and 3 digital images, watermarked and resized for viewing on the internet (Facebook, blogs, email etc - not to be printed, reproduced, or altered in any way)

* Photo session must take place no later than 10/12/2010.

* Minimum retail value of $75- can not be altered or changed in any way, and not redeemable for cash.

* For a full list of retail prices, send Jessica Lloyd Photography an email.

* Only redeemable towards Portrait Photography

* No other promotions or discounts can be applied



Please post any questions you have on this note, and I will be happy to answer them. I look forward to seeing your Halloween entries!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Cutest Kid Contest Winner | Jessica Lloyd Phototgraphy | Midvale UT Children and Family Portraits

I'm such a slacker...I just realized I haven't posted the winners of the Cutest Kid Contest's portraits.  So, here they are!  This in Kalli!  Isn't she a doll?

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Winner of the Hot Momma Contest | Jessica Lloyd Photography | Magna UT Women's photographer

So the winner is Sandra Gober!  I'm off to shoot her pictures this morning out by the Great Salt Lake!  Can't wait!  She's not only georgous but an amazing woman and wonderful mom!  Keep you eye out for her pictures.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Garrett Family Portaits | Jessica Lloyd Photography | International Peace Gardens Utah


I was so excited to this family again!  They were one of my first portfolio building families back in 2008.  It was so fun to see how big the kids have gotten and how much better their special needs child is doing.  This was a session that I donated to the Salt Lake City Mommies annual auction.  To learn more about this group, click here.

I have a special interest in special needs kids.  I have one too.  If you have a special needs child that you have a hard time getting pictures of, contact me, and we can discuss what we can do to get those memorable pictures for your child. 

I am also a Special Education parent liaison for my daughter's junior high school.  If you are a parent of a Special Needs child in the Granite School district and are interested in participating with your school, please contact me.  This is a fledgling program and many schools are still in need of volunteer parents.  It's a simple commitment of one hour a month meeting at the District, where you will learn all sorts of great things to help you and your child.  Then you go home and contact your school's principal or vice principal and share that information with them, via email, phone, or in person visit, depending on how your principal wants to handle it.  Michelle Murphy is heading this program and she is doing a spectacular job!

Friday, September 3, 2010

More Magic of Photoshop | Jessica Lloyd Photography | Salt Lake County Child Portraits

Messy Lil' Miss!  This picture is SOOC (Straight Out Of Camera, no editing has been done to it).

Clean Lil' Miss.  This picture has been Photoshopped.  I fixed the exposure, cleaned up her face, fixed some flyaway hair, made her eyes sparkle just a bit more and intensified the colors.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Another how to take a good picture & the magic of Photoshop | Jessica Lloyd Photography | Children's Photogrpaher

One of the most important parts of taking a good picture is to capture the personality of the individual.
But sometimes you have to sacrifice other elements of the picture to get that personality.  For example I've posted a great picture of my middle daughter.  This picture shows her personality, but the background is very cluttered.  So to fix it, I brought the photo into Photoshop and played with it a bit.

BEFORE:
AFTER:

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Hot Momma Contest | Jessica Lloyd Photography | UT Family Photographer

Jessica Lloyd Photography is hosting a Hot Momma Contest! Beginning Sept. 9, 2010 you will be able to submit a photo of your Hot Momma (or yourself, if you are a Hot Momma), and the winner will receive a free photo session with Jessica Lloyd Photography, as well as 25% off all prints, and 3 digital images to share of your choice. Here are the details:


TO ENTER
* One entry per family.
* You must have permission from the Hot Momma or be the Hot Momma.
* Woman must be a mom or an expectant mom at the time of entry, age of her child/children doesn't matter.
* You must have permission/rights to use the photo you enter.
* Photo must have been taken in the last 6 months.
* Photos will be accepted from Midnight 9/4/2010 to Midnight 9/6/2010 (Mountain Time) via e-mail.
* Only photos e-mailed to jessicatlloyd@gmail.com with the Subject line HOT MOMMA CONTEST during the previosuly mentioned time will be accepted.
* Include Momma's name in the e-mail (first name), her phone number and the best time to reach her, and your name, phone number and the best time to reach you.  Please indicate which date you would prefer to have your pictures taken.
*The Momma in the picture with the most "Like's" will be the winner, not the person entering the picture.
* Contest open to everyone, however if you live outside of a 30 mile radius from Magna, UT, you must choose a location within 30 miles of Magna, UT, for your prize shoot, or a travel fee will be charged of 85 cents per mile, each direction, beyond 30.
*The winner must be available to have the session on either the morning of 9/11/2010 or the evening of 9/15/2010.

HOW PHOTOS WILL BE JUDGED
* All entries will be uploaded into an album by Jessica Lloyd Photography no later than 9/7/2010, on the facebook fan page.
* To vote for a photo you MUST be a 'fan' (or under the new facebook system 'like') Jessica Lloyd Photography.
* Click 'like' for the photo you are voting for in the Jessica Lloyd Photography album labeled 'Hot Momma Contest'.
* Photo with the most 'likes' will be the winner. Comments permitted, but WILL NOT count towards the total number of votes.
* Jessica Lloyd Photography will verify that all 'likes' of the winning photo come from Jessica Lloyd Photography facebook fans, 'likes' from non-fans will not be counted.
* Voting will close 9/9/2010, 11:59pm
* Official winner will be notified and announced no later than 9/10/2010.

WHAT YOU WILL WIN
* The Mom in the photo that receives the most 'likes' will receive a free photo session with Jessica Lloyd Photography, 25% off all prints, and 3 digital images, watermarked and resized for viewing on the internet (facebook, blogs, email etc - not to be printed, reproduced, or altered in any way)
* Photo session must take place either 9/11/2010 or 9/15/2010
* Minimum retail value of $75- can not be altered or changed in any way, and not redeemable for cash
* For a full list of retail prices, send Jessica Lloyd Photography an email.
* Only redeemable towards Portrait Photography
* No other promotions or discounts can be applied

Please post any questions you have on this note, and I will be happy to answer them. I look forward to seeing your Hot Momma entries!

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

How to take better pictures | Jessica Lloyd Photography | Family Photographer

I frequently get asked how to take better pictures.  So I thought I'd share a tip.  Know your camera.  Read the manual, and figure out what the heck it means.  I know most camera manuals aren't written in an easy to understand jargon, but it's a very good resource for you to learn how to take better pictures.  You need to know your camera.  Learn what all the buttons mean, what the settings do.  You don't have to shoot in manual to take a great picture, but it really helps to know the basics of what your camera is doing so that you know which setting to put it in to capture that shot, just the way you want it.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Rules for Parents | Jessica Lloyd Photography | SLC Family Photographer

I found another photographer who put this so well!  With her permission I'm just copying and pasting her post.

“The Rules for Parents”


1. Come to the session with well-rested, well-fed children. Nap times might need to be adjusted on the day of our session for the littlest, or dinner time might have to be a couple hours early. It truly makes a WORLD of difference if you plan your day around our session – even if it means a schedule that is non-typical for your family. A good photographer will interact with your child, play games, chat with them and make them feel comfortable. But we cannot take a tired, hungry, writhing ball of meltdown (can you tell I HAVE toddlers?! ) and create a beautiful portrait!!

2. Don’t prep your child too much for a photo session. Talking about it for days on end (or even all day on the day of the session) only raises the stress level for your child and creates an atmosphere of “you’d better…or else!”. It’s better to let your child become comfortable at the session and have their personality shine through. That said, bring a “backup plan”. If you have wee little ones, bringing a non-messy snack (for babies: puffs, small cookies, etc.) and a drink is essential! For older toddlers, a special snack (something a bit exciting even!) might be just the thing to get that big smile! If your child has a lovey or special friend that you don’t mind being in some photos, it can be a great comfort item. I am not above bribery, but be sure to keep it positive and specific. “Give two beautiful smiles and you get a special treat!” is great.

3. Allow your photographer to interact with your child. Don’t answer for them – or chime in with your own thoughts. The photographer needs to spend a few moments getting comfortable with your child and allowing your child to get comfortable with her. Many times I will ask children questions about what things they like, about their teacher or friends, or find something in common to chat about. It helps to break the ice and allows the photographer to get a sense of your child’s personality.

4. If you have a baby, allow the photographer to interact with her and try to get her to look at the camera and smile. This is a hard one for parents. If there’s a particular thing that “works” – a game, a sound, a word, a song – tell the photographer at the beginning of your session together and allow her to try it with your baby. The goal of the photographer is to get your baby to look directly into the camera. If you are standing to the photographer’s left or right, even slightly, and shouting your baby’s name to get her to look up, she is going to look AT YOU! Why is that a bad thing? Because even though she could be giving the best, most beautiful and perfect smile to you…when you see the photo, it looks like she’s smiling at someone outside the frame. I never really understood this until I started photographing children professionally, but now I notice it all the time. In most studio photos, the children are almost always looking at someone above the camera’s level. My goal as a custom photographer is to capture your child(ren) looking right at me – so that when you see that photo, it looks like they are smiling directly at you every time you look at the picture. You will see the twinkle in their eye, you will see the mischievous grin, you will feel the connection! It is hard to step back and not interact with your own baby – but let the photographer try first. She’ll let you know if she needs help!

5. If your child is between 12 months and 2 1/2 years old, expect your session to be a lot of “follow the baby around”! This age is the most unpredictable. Since bribing, cajoling, and joking doesn’t work yet, we are forced to go with the flow! The best thing to do is to see where he wants to play, sit, stand and then position yourselves around him for a group shot. When he moves, you move! Again, interact like you normally do – if that’s playing peek-a-boo or clapping, we’ll capture it, and maybe a few smiles in the process!

6. If you have older toddlers or elementary school children, allow the photographer some space to work with them. If you “disappear” or hang back a bit, photographers can often work more easily with your child – especially siblings! Trust us, we have interacted with many children and have a few tricks up our sleeves! Oftentimes, children will act up when their parents are around and watching just to get their attention – but they wouldn’t dare misbehave with a stranger! (Just ask their teachers – they are angels at school, right?!) I sometimes take a child by the hand and we take a walk to a new location so that we can start fresh and not have mom and dad watching our every move. Most of the time, I capture the truest smiles that way!

7. Try not to threaten your child or coerce them into smiling. You are most likely not going to get a genuine smile if you’ve just told them that they must smile or you will beat them within an inch of their lives not take them for ice cream. Please, whatever you do, don’t tell your child to SAY CHEESE! It does not capture their true smile and we’re probably only going to get that smile the rest of the session. (That’s why they call it a cheezy smile!) Your photographer will help with fun things to make your child smile – or you could always just start a tickle fight or say something really silly that makes everyone laugh!

8. Get close. When you stand next to each other, you should always be touching! Wrap your arms around each other or hold hands. Even a few inches of space looks like a wide gap in a picture! I often tell people to, “act like you like each other!” (which always gets people to smile, by the way!) because I want them to be close. Kids sitting on laps, or standing with their arms around their parents legs or shoulders are natural “poses”. Your closeness and love for each other will shine through if you are close to each other when standing or sitting for a photograph.

9. Your job, as parents is to look at the camera and smile when we attempt the big group shot. When your photographer poses you and is doing her best to get the childrens’ attention, don’t look down at the kids!!! My job is to get the baby to smile. My job is to keep the kids looking at me. My job is to see whose head is turned or fingers are in their mouth. Your job is to plaster that (natural!) smile on your face and look at my camera! There have been too many times when I’ve gotten home, downloaded a family session, and found that by the time I got all three or four kids looking at the camera and smiling, the mom and dad had dropped their smiles or were “just checking” to see if the kids were smiling. So, I either have a great shot of mom and dad with wild monkeys or beautiful children with parents who look completely over it! Remember to just look at the camera and smile – your photographer will do the rest!!

10. Be yourselves and try to have fun! The absolute best family photographs are those where the family looks comfortable and connected. If you are silly, be silly during your session. If dad is the comedian, by all means, bring on the jokes! If your kids like to play Ring around the Rosy (or Superheroes!), let’s get to it early on in the session so that we can capture your family being you. After all, that’s what you want to remember in ten or twenty years, right?
 
To visit her webpage, click here.

Monday, May 31, 2010

Memorial Day Sale | Jessica Lloyd Photography | Utah Photographer

Memorial Day Sale:


Current Clients:15% off if you order today. Coupon code MEM2010.

Past Clients:contact me before midnight tonight to get your gallery reloaded free. I'll contact you when it's ready with a link and a coupon code & time limit.

Future clients...contact me before midnight with to prepay for your session & print order & ...lock in today's pricing & get 15% off. preorder.

Not valid w/ any other discounts