Hi! I am Jamie! I am just a coffee loving, Mom of 2 who loves to create art by capturing other people's memories!
Every year in May I ask my family to do photos with me for a combination of my birthday and Mother's Day gift. I know by asking for this as a gift, they will not fight me on what I want them to wear or how far I want them to drive to an amazing location. I use guilt, yes!! It mostly works! Haha! Alot of people have asked how I pull this off each year. Well I am here to explain that to you! In all fairness, I have "trained" my family to use my camera. There are alot of moving parts in being a photographer/artist. Styling is my #1. Getting everyone to wear clothing that is not your everyday style is HUGE! The 2 piece dress I am wearing is custom made from a company called Reclamation. These dresses are not cheap but they are truly THE BEST! This company makes these dresses for photographers and they photograph beautifully! I do not want my clients to wear everyday clothes. I have a few pieces in my client closet that my clients are welcome to wear. You can also use my style guide to choose something of your own. The outfits do not need to be expensive. Colors and fabrics play a huge role. My daughter's dress is from Shein! My husbands shirt is from Target! It is all about finding pieces that coordinate together and I am here to help with that!
Setting up my camera settings for the current lighting is my #2! I adjust settings constantly during all of my sessions and doing my own is no exception. I will set up the family and the camera and then either leave it on a tripod or hand it to my daughter or husband. I explain to them where to put the focal point and they take the images or I click a remote. It is ALOT of trial and error....and me running back and forth to the camera. I was tired!! I have learned in life that the "good stuff" is not always easy, but it really is always worth it!
Editing my own images is #3 on my list of how this all came together! Since I am in charge of the camera settings, styling, and composition of my images, I love being able to also edit them in my style as well.
I have said it before, and I will say it again. This was a labor of love! Family sessions are that way. I am here to help make things easier on you with a style guide, styling pieces in my client closet, and simple, fun prompts to keep kids entertained (and husbands too!). I promise you, your family will leave my sessions thinking "wow that was actually enjoyable!".
A Behind The Scenes Captured on My Iphone!
If I can, I often capture behind the scenes videos of my sessions. I find these little snippets bring joy to my clients and myself! You can see, even from this video of my own BTS, my sessions are not posed and are truly moments of interaction.
