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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!

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?

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.

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!

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.

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:

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!

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.

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?
 
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