In other words, I want you to feel a smile on your face when you look at a photo, even if you don’t necessarily see one in the picture.

And this one, for me, does exactly that. :-)

And by the way, I’m thrilled that some the babies in this slideshow will be big siblings later this year! A couple of moms already have their newborn sessions lined up.  Yesssss!

I’ll have to take some photos with my big girl camera soon, but here are some iPhone (Instagram) pictures to give you a little taste.

I’m not much for DIY projects, but I’ll admit that this was pretty fun. :-)

[Photographer note: I took this chance to play with my 85mm f/1.4 (which I almost never use), so these are images shot with that lens. The only exception is the first image, for which I used my favorite 50mm f/1.4G lens.]

I cannot believe how sweet these two are together.  And how stunning this bride is!

Every now and then, I get really down on myself and my work.  Not that I’ll ever think it’s perfect, but I can seriously tear apart every single image – even those I’m most “proud of” in my portfolio.  I do have a handful of people – both friends and strangers - who are very supportive, and I love that. Thank you for cheering me on!  And yet I constantly really struggle with my own confidence in my art.

I won’t go too far into it, but trust me.  A few weeks ago, I was face down in my pillow, crying, ready to throw my camera out the window.  I forced myself to just take a break for a few days – no shooting, no editing, no comparing myself to all the other Photographers out there (and there are a LOT).  I played with my boys, organized a closet (or two), and worked things out in my head.  I also had some personal encouragement from the phenomenal Leah Zawadzki that helped me more than she’ll ever know.  (If you ever read this, thank you again, Leah!)

Then I took a 2-day road trip to Austin, Texas to visit my cousin (an artist and a photographer), and to do this newborn session and an engagement session (coming soon!).  So I just had to do my best to shake it off and get back in the game.  And it was a phenomenal session.  This mommy, who happens to be an AMAZING wedding photographer in Austin, just let me just “do my thing” with complete confidence.  I took my time and really enjoyed everything about it – making peace with my camera, meeting the spunkiest little 4-year-old big sister who has the same birthday as my youngest son, the feeling of a home with a brand new little person in it.  I also tried to “think outside the beanbag” a bit for this session.  I made myself get a little more creative, and I think I’ll be doing more of that.

By the way, there are some macro shots from this session here.

Thank you so much for reaching out to me, Gia.  I am so glad I made the trip.  :-)

Yeah.  I’d say I got my mojo back. :-)

These are just little tidbits that I’ve picked up along the way run that through my mind while I’m out shooting:

• Light first, background (or whatever else) second.  When searching for a good area for some photos, be careful not to look for “things” that are pretty.  Look for the light.  Window light, backlight, open shade, whatever it may be…. Pay attention to the contrast of the light, the color of the light, the direction of the light, the shapes of the shadows.  “Photography” means painting with light, not painting with pretty fountains in the background.
• Shoot with purpose.  Not going to lie, this is tough.  I have plans to dabble in film soon, and I’m hoping that will train me a bit more to think before clicking that shutter.
• Embrace your ISO.  I prefer to use ISO 200, but I’m not afraid to bump it up.  In fact, I don’t really even pay too much attention to how high it needs to go. Granted, I’m shooting with a camera that can handle some noise, but honestly, I love the grain anyway.  When I’m shooting at a high ISO, I don’t reduce the grain in post-processing.  Side note: be careful not to underexpose when at a high ISO, as it can cause even more noise.
• Use negative space.  I love to let those images breathe.  Even close-ups.
• Create the image that you envision.  Not the one that the other photographer just posted on Facebook or Pinterest last week.  Not the one that you’re thinking your client or your best friend will like.  Create your own piece of art with that camera, in your own voice.  I’d be lying if I said this was easy.
• Learn the rules of Photography.  And then you can decide if/when it’s OK to break them.
• Learn how to choose your focal point on your camera.  And as a general rule, focus on your subject’s eye closest to the camera.  That’s a VERY general rule, depending on how many people or eyes you want to be in focus, how you want to compose your image, your aperture, your focal length, etc.  This was probably my biggest “a-ha” moment when I was first learning.  And I was embarassed at how many images I’d lost because the eyes were blurry, and I had no idea it was because I was letting my camera decide where to focus.
• Watch where you’re cropping people.  Pet peeve of mine is seeing photos with feet cut off right at the ankles (for example).  As a rule of thumb, avoid cropping where people bend (elbows, knees, necks, etc.) as it can look really strange.  Easier said than done when toddler-chasing.  :-)
• Stay at about 1/125 of a second or faster if you want to avoid blurry people.  Make that 1/250 if you’re chasing a toddler!  Again, this varies depending on your focal length, your hand’s steadiness (or if you’re on a tripod), etc.  But that’s a very basic rule of thumb.  I will occasionally go down to as slow as 1/60 sec during a still, quiet indoor session, but you’d better believe I’m bracing that camera and holding my breath when I click that shutter.
• Understanding Exposure explains the basics like nothing else.
• Shoot in Manual.  That doesn’t mean adjusting the dial until your in-camera meter says that it’s properly exposed.  Seriously, if you’re letting your camera decide what your exposure needs to be, why even bother putting it in Manual mode?
• Get it right in camera.  Nail your exposure, the focus, the composition from the get-go.  I prefer to use post-processing for enhancing, not re-cropping or correcting exposure.  Like makeup.
• Lightroom is freaking brilliant once you learn how to work those modules.

Again, this was written quickly and on a whim.  Maybe I’ll come back and add to it ot make a “part 2″ if I come up with other little tidbits.  Or if there is anything you wish I’d elaborate on (since these are pretty brief), please leave a comment and let me know!

And just because I want to share, here are a few mommy and baby photos from a newborn session I’m working on.

…Yes.

Very much so. :-)

I adore that flaky skin on her fingers and toes, the milkbumps on her nose, the little angel kiss on her eyelid.  Heaven.

See (a ton) more from this session here.