How long should I book the session and how many pictures will I get?

First thing first. It is about quality, not quantity. I cannot promise you that you will get X numbers of pictures after the session but I can promise you that you will get some nice pictures that you want to hang on your wall.

As for the duration of a session. I think 1 hour session maybe too short. In all my shoots, 100% of the time the baby made a fussy during the session. Then the parents would rush to the next outfit change, instead of spending some quiet time to calm the baby. That made the baby even more fussy. It is a downward spiral.

On the other hand, I think 3 hours is too long. Unless you have a large family and a long shoot list, you don't really need 3 hours. Everyone will be bored and tired after a couple hours of shooting.

Therefore, I think the optimal length for a session is 2 hours. It gives enough for a few outfit changes. Some quiet time to calm the baby when we need it. Time to feed the baby when he/shes gets fussy. For  calm babies, I should be able to cover everything the parents want in 1.5 hours. For others, a 2-hour session give enough buffer and no one needs to rush. And of course, I will stay as long as I can to get the good pictures for you.

 

Pictures with the siblings

If you have more than one kid, you probably want to have some pictures of the baby with the brother(s)/sister(s). 

The older the siblings, the easier to get them to cooperate. However, in a typical family, the siblings most likely are just 1 to 3 years older. 1 to 3 year-old kids are the most difficult subject to photograph. They are mobile. They are full of energy. And they don't listen to instruction. They want to do whatever they want, whenever they want. 

Girls are a little easier than boys. You can dress them up and they will sit still for a few minutes.

But it still depends on their personality. As a parent, you should know them better than I do but I don't recommend the parents to force the kids to do what they don't want to do. No one will be happy afterward. If they don't want to do it, just move on. We wasted so much time trying to get this brother to pose with the baby. Unless you really want their picture together. Maybe it is better off to use the time for something else.

 

Not only being uncooperative, something they can be disruptive. 

We ended up having dad to take the brother out for a car ride while I was doing the photo shoot with mom and baby. With a stroke of luck, they Facetime us to see if we were done and I got this cute family picture for them.

All the cute sibling pictures you see online, they just got lucky. My advice is: set your expectation properly. Expect the un-expected. Don't fixate on a particular pose or setup and just go with the flow. Trust me and I will help you create some beautiful images of your growing family.

How to enjoy your photos

 

After your photo session, I usually will deliver your images within a week. You will get a link to a password-protected gallery, which you can easily share with your friends and family.

You can then download the images on your computer and/or phone. You can use them as your background. However, I think the best way to enjoy the pictures everyday is to print them, frame them, and hang them on a wall. You can print the images on your own printers or at any lab but you can also order prints directly from the gallery. Just click "Buy Photo" at the lower right hang corner of the picture.

Next you will get this side bar:

You can order different types of prints. Browse around and see what you like. When you click "Paper Prints," you can order different sizes of the print.

My customers often ask me what size of print they should order. Here are the steps I take:

1. Decide which wall I want to hang the picture.
2. Look for a frame that may look good with the picture. I usually get my frames from IKEA. Their price is low and their frames look pretty good. You can also find some nice frame from Target. I usually buy frames locally because I can return them easily if they don't look good on my wall.
   
3. I get the frame and try it on the wall and see if the size of the frame looks good on that wall.
4. Then I order the size of the print that fit that frame.
5. Put the print on the frame, hang the frame, and enjoy.

Here is the choices of frames at IKEA.

 

For images that I love, I use custom framing. This can cost hundreds of dollars. However, I can have custom size and material. If you are going to hang the picture on a prime location, you may want to use a really nice frame but you can still use the above steps to figure out the size.

Another advantage with custom frame is you can use UV-protected glass. This is important if you are going to hang the picture on a wall that gets a lot of sun light.

Another nice option is to do a canvas print. Search around and you may find some discount, so you can try it out without spending a lot of money. I have gotten this print free from Canvas People. 

Metal print is also a nice way to show off the picture and you can order from my site.

 

I have also gotten one before. It looks really nice but it can be very expensive.

There are so many options to display your pictures. Experience them and see what you like. If you want to order print from your gallery and if you don't see the "Buy Photos," just let me know.

Info on newborn photo session

  

Here is a list of blog posts that give you more info on my newborn photo session and my approach to it:

• So you want to have a newborn photo shoot
• My setup for on location newborn session
  
• Newborn baby poses and props
• How long should I book the session and how many pictures will I get
  
• Magic Moment
• Pictures with the siblings
  
• How to enjoy your photos
  

 We can discuss what you expect after you get some ideas. Just contact me.

Magic moment

 

This picture is by Lola Melani. I have multiple clients wanted the same pose. However, I told my clients that I can put them in that pose but we may not be able to get the same "feel." The picture captured the "moment" between those two couple and we may not be able to capture the same. We can try but we need to go with the "flow."

So I would start my clients with the similar pose and then I let the magic happen. Here is an example on how I like to let it "flow" and let the pose "evolve."

So my advice is: don't fixate on a particular pose. Just let it evolve and watch for the magic moment(s). Keep moving and shifting. We may not be able to have picture with that exact pose but we will have good pictures of that magic moment.

Newborn baby poses and props

Congratulations on your new baby. Now you want have some pictures taken to capture this bundle of joy

"What props do you have?" This is the question 99% of my clients asked. My answer is always the same: "I have a basket and a fur but I prefer my clients to use their own props, especially during the pandemic." Here is a picture of my prop:

These days you can get pretty much anything from Amazon and get it shipped in less than a week. Here is an example.

And here are some props that my clients used during the shoot.

You can do it even with just a simple hat. The point of photo shoot is to capture the precious moment of this new life. So don't worry too much about what prop(s) to use, just enjoy the moment.

So you want to have a newborn photo shoot

First, you need to decide when you want the pictures to be taken? Do you want to have the pictures taken when the baby is just a few days old? Do you want to have the pictures taken to capture the baby's milestone (1 month old, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year old)?

If you want to have the pictures taken when the baby is a few days old. You need to start planning before the baby is born. You need to research and book the photographer at least 2 weeks to a months ahead. There are so many Covid babies now and the photographer you want may not be available and you don't want to lose that "newborn look" window. I recommend to take the pictures when the baby is between 7 to 10 days old. The baby still has the "newborn look" but the immune system is a little stronger. Also, after a week, you should know your baby's schedule and we can shoot around that. Although babies at this age just eat, poop and sleep, they can still be fussy when there is a stranger in the house. So for a 2-hour session, you should expect to have just about 30 minutes of good shooting time. Plan your session ahead, so we can make sure we capture what you want during the limited time.

Whether the session is for a newborn or a 6-month old, I encourage my clients to start a mood board on Pinterest.  They can share the pictures they like with me and I can plan on how to capture them for their baby. You can get some ideas from the one I have here.

Once you have an idea on what you want, you can start gathering props and clothes for the shoot. You can get pretty much everything you want from Amazon. You can also try your local Target and Walmart or any baby clothing stores. I have a post that talks about what I have, you can check it out here.

The next step to prepare for the session is to create a shot list. Since the time is limited in a session, we want to make sure we don't miss anything during the shoot. You can create a list of shots that you want with the combinations of these items:

• list of clothes
• list of props
  
• list of people
• list of locations

You are now ready, so sit back and enjoy. 

By the way, the mood board, the shot list, etc, are just a guideline. How well the shoot goes depends 100% on the baby and 90% chance the baby will not cooperate. We will use Plan B, C, D or whatever it takes to capture some good pictures of your baby.

My setup for on location newborn session

"What kind of props do you have?" 

"Can you bring some costumes for the shoot?"

"Do you have any backdrop?"

I get asked these questions at least once a day. My answer is always: I have a basket and a fur but I prefer my client to use their own props/costumes, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Even during the normal time, using your own props/costumes is good way to protect the health of your newborn baby.

Here is the basket and the fur that is available for the shoot if you want:

 

 

For the background, I have a white blanket (as seen above) that I normally use. As long as you have enough space, I can set up the shoot and make it look good. Here are some of my setups:

 

Photo taken using the above setup

Even just with 2 chairs and a blanket (all provided by the client)

 

Photo taken using the above setup

You can find a lot of interesting stuff from Amazon. Just do a "baby props" search. Here are the search results. One of my clients got everything she wanted for this photo there.

You can also get a lot of interesting clothes or costumes from Target or Walmart or any of your local baby stores. You just need to prepare, plan ahead and knowing what you want. Here is an example of what my client planned:

I will provide more tips in future posts. Follow my blog and check back later.

 

 

Behind the Scene

If you want to get a feel on what a typical photo session with me looks like,
here is a behind-the-scene video of the session I had with baby Aislynn:





And if you are a grown up, we can do something more exciting like this:

Let's Play! Children's Photography With Tamara Lackey (Part 3)

[Photo by Tamara Lackey]

Noted children's photographer Tamara Lackey hosted a creativeLive workshop giving us all of her tips on how to photograph children successfully.

In this last part of the 3-part series. Tamara talks about the business side of photography and ways to achieve a work/life balance.

VIEWER QUESTIONS

Styling: Tamara give suggestions about clothing that photograph better, but she lets child to choose clothing that's distinctive to the child. For families, it's good they coordinate so they look like a group. But choose styles that are timeless.

In her studio: Tamara keeps a variety of products that she wants to show and sell: framed pieces, canvas wrap. She wants to give examples of how finished prints look.

Gold reflectors: Tamara uses a gold reflector only in a cold environment when she wants to warm up the pictures.

THE BUSINESS SIDE OF CHILDREN'S PHOTOGRAPHY

What is involved:

• Marketing (Photographers must track; ask customers how they found out about you so that you know what is working and what isn't.)
• Brand building
• Website development
• Gathering information
• Responding to inquiries
• Developing Pricing
• Shooting
• Editing/Post-processing
• Backup/Disaster recovery (minimum 3)
• Selling
• Packaging
• Delivery
• Customer Management System (tracking customers throughout each stage)
• Financial Systems (invoicing, sales tax, reporting, quarterly federal/state taxes, expense tracking, bank reconciliation - Tamara recommends Successware)
• Insurance, licenses

Developing Pricing: 
Photographers must consider the cost of sales and time and whether you're going for high volume/low cost or low volume/high cost. Factor in your time per hour, as well as markup (e.g. 33%).

Don't waste your time justifying your pricing — a customer like that is not qualified. Spend your time with customers who value your work.

Set expectations on pricing with your website, the look and feel of your online storefront. A luxurious and elegant website will tell customers that your worth and value is higher. Tamara spends the most money on her website.

Also, in a sales consultation, show your portfolio and explain how an image was produced: how the child was during the shoot, why you composed it the way you did, etc. so they understand how much work went into the image. This further explains the value of your work.

If you set expectations, it will be rare for them to think that your pricing is too expensive.

[Photo by Tamara Lackey]

Ideas For Marketing:

• Guerrilla marketing: do it yourself or pay a marketing agency
• Word of mouth referrals
• Donate photography packages to an auction (i.e. waived session fee (Tamara normally charges $500) and an 8x10). Tip: showcase an image that sets you apart from other photographers.
• Credit towards purchase: people don't like leaving money on the table so they're more likely to use it
• Hold a raffle where everyone gives you their contact info
• Gift certificates for any holidays. Put an expiration date to get people to act.
• Picture sales for friends and family through an external photo printing company with shopping cart
• Create gift registry

Product Design

Tamara designs herself or sometimes outsources.

Taxes

Find out what your state taxes are for services and products, or you will be spending a ton of time and possibly money fixing the problem

Figure out your perfect client

Figure out your perfect client: what do they watch, what do they listen to, what activities do they do, where do they shop, etc. This will help you figure out where to target your perfect client.

Don't copy what other photographers are doing and how they're running their business. Focus on your own business.

[Photo by Tamara Lackey]

THE SALES CONSULTATION

Tamara didn't always do a sales consultation, but this is where she makes most of her sales. In her consultations, she educates clients. She gives a lot of ideas so that clients can picture in their minds having the images in their homes.


Limit your product options for customers. Don't overwhelm them with choices. Tamara's pricing list is small. The fewer decisions you require your customers to make, the more sales you will get.

She also moves away from just price and order process. So she does not take orders at the sales consult. She'll just take notes for later.

Parents may have differing opinions on the same image, so it's just a matter of finding other images that suit each of them.

In general, Tamara is consulting with the clients to put together the best package for them.

WORK/LIFE BALANCE

Balance = Mind, Spirit, Body Heart

+

Peace, Connections, Schedule, Fulfillment

Tamara says she does feel guilty for not being able to keep up.

The typical feelings are guilt, shame, and blame.

Anna Quindlen: "You cannot be really first rate at your work if your work is all you are."

If you feel stuck, take a break. To get inspired, take a pause. Inspiration doesn't come when you're busy with work.

There is a myth of a zen-like balance and that it is somehow achievable. 

If you put yourself out there, other people may be critical of your work, but be confident of who you are. 

"Are you afraid of failing?" 

"Everybody fails. I'm afraid not to try."

The 80/20 rule: 80% of your business/income comes from 20% of your clients.

Don't check your email until 10am. If you start your day checking email you'll get caught up with the minutiae.

Focus on the major things you need to do. Do not multitask; prioritize.

Keys to success: hard work and willingness to fail.

It's not balance if you're trying to do everything at the same time: work and kids. Pay someone to watch your kids for a few hours so you can get some work done efficiently, and then when you spend time with your kids, spend quality time with them.

Let's Play! Children's Photography With Tamara Lackey (Part 2)

Noted children's photographer Tamara Lackey hosted a creativeLive workshop giving us all of her tips on how to photograph children successfully.

[Photo by Tamara Lackey]

In Part 2 of this workshop, Tamara discusses the dynamics of photographing families. She also talks about lighting, both studio and outdoor.

VIEWER QUESTIONS

How does someone go from amateur to creating dynamic pictures?
Both education and practice. Education gives you the background knowledge. Practice gives you experience.

What's in her camera bag?
Canon 5D Mark II and 1D Mark II
Lenses:
85mm 1.2 (though she say 85mm 1.8 is faster)
35mm 1.4
24-70 2.8
70-200 (for weddings)
16-35 (for weddings)
Metz 54 flash

FAMILY PORTRAITS

Family portraits are technically more difficult since you have to see where each person in relation to others.

A necessary skill in dealing with family dynamics is how to get everyone to "buy in" and be involved in the photo shoot process. Tamara says that sometimes it is helpful to talk to the kids and get them interested.

Try to talk to the more resistant members first and show them that you can do something different and that you value their input.

Tamara adjusts lighting for different skin tones, using reflectors for darker tones to even out exposure. With most lighting, however, expose for the middle tones and the exposure will turn out fine.

[Photo by Tamara Lackey]

For family members of different height: bring them down to the same level. But you do what some variance in height for interest. Just keep them on the same plane (i.e. no one 5 feet behind the rest).

Having the family conversation: Tamara emphasizes that the photo shoot is no time for discipline, that she wants to get the authentic shots, so if kids aren't behaving, parents should let it go.

She also talks to parents about letting her and kids have the shoot without stepping in and being a distraction unless she specifically asks for their help. She really emphasizes this point to parents, not for them to step in and direct. After this conversation, Tamara says it is very unlikely that parents will interfere.

To get some nice lighting indoors, Tamara positions the family in front of an open front door, so all of the natural daylight comes in. She also uses large wall of windows and and the back door.

Tamara regularly shoots pictures in bathrooms because they typically have white walls and windows, so there is a lot of light.

She also has family members interact with each other to get candids.

Tamara does not instruct people to "smile" because she doesn't want their pre-conditioned response.

In low lighting she can use 2500 ISO, but if your camera is not as high-end, then she suggests getting more light with a fill light.

If you're using a really wide-angle lens, get everyone into the middle or else the people on the edges will look distorted.

Tamara also only uses a single focus point, and she focuses on the eyes. If she moves camera away from her face, she uses enough MP to crop if her composition is not exact.

Sometimes she will use two cameras at the same time to avoid changing lenses.

[Photo by Tamara Lackey]

LIGHTING

A simple studio setup:

Main light (biggest one)

Fill light

Hair/Rim light

Ambient light (overhead or strong side lighting)

With children, because they are always moving, Tamara aims for a nice even lighting that still gives contour and shape.

On location:

You will get natural outdoor lighting on location. Tamara still thinks about the 4 types of lighting but the sources are different. For example, the main light is the sun.

If the sun is on the right side of the subject and the left side is in the shadows, she uses a reflector to bounce the light on the left side to fill in the shadow.

If sun is directly overhead, you'll get shadows on the face, so you need to figure out how the reflector will fill in the shadows.

If subject is backlit, she uses a large reflector to bounce the light onto the front of the subject. So the background is brightly lit but the subject is correctly exposed.

Tamara either uses partial metering (when focusing on specific subjects) or evaluative metering (when she wants the entire background correctly exposed).

She also uses auto white balance so she gets a consistent look when she goes into post-processing.

Don't forget that DISTANCE also affects how the photos turn out, not just ISO, aperture, and speed.

BUDGET DESIGN

If you have a small budget and you need props in your studio, try picking up these items:

carpet remnants
unfinished mirror and frame it yourself
duct tape
WD-40
insulation boards for backdrops
fabric glued to plywood for backdrops

In Part 3, Tamara talks about the business of kids photography and image critiquing.

Let's Play! Children's Photography With Tamara Lackey (Part 1)

Noted children's photographer Tamara Lackey hosted a creativeLive workshop giving us all of her tips on how to photograph children successfully.

In Part 1, she describes the most common personality types of children and how she interacts with each type to build a connection and get great photos.

When Tamara Lackey first started out, she focused on building her skills and taking quality pictures first before marketing for clients.

In general, her main tips are:

1. Master technical settings
2. Master post-processing
3. Slow down, interact with people, and engage with children and parents

[Photo by Tamara Lackey]

Working With Kids

"Kids are also trying to figure you out."
If you're nervous or uncomfortable, kids know that and it's off-putting to them. Don't be intimidated or show fear!

If you're interacting with the child and the child finds it interesting, you'll still be able to take good pictures.

"Respond to WHO they are, regardless of the type of expression you want."
Meet kids' energy levels. If they're bouncing off the walls, don't bring them down with a mellow attitude. If they're shy and mellow, don't scare them with high energy.

Physically come down to their level by kneeling to create a connection and get them to trust you.

"Babies and Young Toddlers: Complete and Utter Fearlessness"
Babies and young toddlers are not lens aware; they'll keep doing whatever they're doing.

Older kids are lens aware and are likely to give you the self-conscious "cheese smile."

Most kids fall into one of these categories during the photo shoot:

[Photo by Tamara Lackey]

• The Super Star
• you get high energy shots
• The Shy One
• introspective shots
• must spend time getting them to warm up to you
• shoot farther away with a long lens
• give them space
• The Interactive One
• keep the dialog going to keep the connection
• they are very malleable and will do what you tell them
• Tamara keeps the camera away from her face a lot with these types of kids
• break up the intensity with games
• you'll get a lot of great candids
• The One Who Just Needs to Warm Up
• Tamara finds that most children are in this category
• They start out shy and then warm up
• The Too Cool For School One
• This personality type is showing up younger and younger
• These kids are actually very self-conscious
• Acknowledge that they feel forced into the photo shoot
• Countdowns - let them know how soon it will be over
• Typically by the end, they've warmed up
• The Spirited One; Sick, Tired, Trantrum-y
• more intense, energetic, perceptive, sensitive, more easily irritated
• very attuned to their feelings
• very immediate reactions
• be empathetic
• give them whatever they want when they want it during the photo shoot
• In general, feel what they're feeling to build a connection

At the beginning of every shoot, Tamara spends time getting to know the child and getting him/her comfortable before taking any photos.

She will also give casual instructions on posing and will explain everything every time she moves into a new situation. Ideally you find out the children's personalities beforehand so you know what they like or don't like during the shoot.

Tamara does not use a set pose list, she just goes with what the child wants. When the child starts to disengage, get Mom involved in the photos to get some smiles.

The photographer's personality comes into play when interacting with the kids. Do what is natural and the photos will become your own style.

[Photo by Tamara Lackey]

Equipment specifics

• Tamara shoots everything manual and JPEG format (because she finds that her work flows faster with JPEG).
• She uses a higher f-stop so if she moves the camera away from her face to keep the connection with the child she can still get the child in focus.
• A higher f-stop is also important when shooting multiple kids or families on different planes.
• She also uses a wide angle lens (24mm or 35mm) to get more things captured in focus.
• Minimum speed is never below 100 because child is always moving.
• Tamara will occasionally use on-camera flash but will always use the reflector.
• In a dark environment, she's using the silver reflector and 3200 ISO.

In Part 2, Tamara talks about photographing families and lighting. Coming next week!

My Little Sister Mira

Hi, I'm Cleo. It's been a REALLY exciting week. I am now a big sister! Finally! 

Ever since Mommy and Daddy told me that I was going to be a big sister, I've been waiting on pins and needles. It felt like FOREVER. Mommy told me it was "only 9 months." But in my short life, 9 months is a VERY long time. 

Besides, I'm just a kid. Kids aren't known for their patience.

When Mommy and Daddy said I was going to have a little sister, I said, "YES!!" I had really, really hoped that I would have a little sister. Then I could braid her hair (if Mommy lets me, maybe I can even cut it...), dress her up in my doll clothes, and teach her everything there is to know about being a kid.

• I will pick her up every time she cries
• If she gets hurt, I will hug her and kiss her boo-boos
• I will read funny stories to her every night
• I will teach her how to use chopsticks
• I will let her play with my toys (sometimes)

When Mommy and Daddy went to the hospital and told me that they were bringing Mira home, I could not sleep for 2 days. 

Then they finally brought her home. I wanted to run up and give her a big hug. But I tried to be careful because she was so small. And she was asleep. Mommy said Mira would be sleeping a lot. I'm kinda bummed since I don't get to play with her yet.

Uncle Kelvin also came over to take some pictures of Mira. She cried a lot. I think she was tired.

So I wanted to hold her since that is one of my big-sister goals, but Mommy and Daddy wouldn't let me at first.

I pestered them until they finally let me, and Mira stopped crying! 

I know I'm going to the best big sister ever!