Vinny First Birthday Baseball Cake Smash

My nephew Vincent recently turned one so when I was asked about doing a baseball themed cake smash photo shoot I was excited. I had moved since my last cake smash shoot so this would be the first one in my new home. The house I bought has an in-law suite that I hope one day to turn into a small photography studio. With Vinny’s cake smash being the first job in the new area, it was fun to experiment setting up the lighting, backdrop, and flooring. Thank you Vinny for being my guinea pig!

When preparing for a cake smash, it’s best to choose a time of the day that works for your subject because inevitably, they will be hesitant about diving into the cake and getting started. Some kiddos have never even had a taste of cake and are unsure of what to do. Add some crabbiness into the mix and it’s sure to fail. Vinny was a little crabby at first, but once he tasted the cake, he was all about the photo shoot! Happy first birthday, Slugger!

Madden Family Fall Beach Photo's at Ellisville Harbor

Welcome back everyone!

Last fall I had a fantastic session with the Madden family. Their wedding is later this month and I can not wait to be a part of their big day.

For our family session last fall we met at Ellisville Harbor in Plymouth Massachusetts. I love shooting at Ellisville Harbor because of the great variety in scenery it provides. You start with a walk through the meadows and pine forest followed by a beach, ending at a salt marsh. This allows a huge variety in scenery for your photos. We even got to see some seals in the ocean.

It truly was an amazing photo shoot. The Madden Family worked through weather challenges, it was raining driving there, driving home and they had an injury at home right before leaving. They worked through it all though and we still ended up with some great family photos.

I just wanted to say thank you to the Maddens and I can not wait for our next opportunity to work together again.

Woodward Family Truck Photos

When TJ messaged me asking about doing some father son photo's for Christmas cards I was expecting some more of the common fall photos at the park or in the woods. He then asked if we could do some with his truck. This got me thinking of doing something a little more unique.

I always love making photo sessions more personal by using activites, places, or things that are important to the family. Every family that I photograph has something unique about them that makes them who they are. I try to incorporate this into the photoshoot as often as possible. It also helps make everyone more comfortable during the shoot.

TJ's two and half year old son was great during the shoot. It was after 7:00pm and very cold outside but he hung in there out in the cold with us long enough to get the shots. Of course afterwards we did some indoor photos and Callen had some ice cream.

Thank you TJ for the opportunity to photograph you and your son. It was a lot of fun.

Blanchette Family Fall Photos

Hey Everyone!

After talking to the Blanchette family I knew a fall photo shoot would be perfect for them. They are an active outdoor family that always has good time no matter what the circumstances. This photo shoot proved that. The temperature was in the high 30's and it was extremely windy.

We made the best and changed locations trying to get out of the wind. Both of the girls Delaney and Brooke were great. Brando did need a little candy encouragement though. In the end everything worked out and we got some great family photos.

I had a great time getting to know the Blanchette's and hope I get to work with them in the future.

Amelia's First Birthday Cake Smash

Hey Guys!

Let me begin by saying that I had the greatest time doing the session I'm about to post. This was the second time I've worked with the Amelia and I loved every minute of it. 

What other times in your life other than your first birthday can you just enjoy smashing and making a mess with a delicious cake. Clearly, Sam and Tim have done an amazing job during Amelia's first year. Hopefully I'll get to work with them all in the future again. 

How to Get Real, Genuine Smiles From Your Kids

Kids are completely unpredictable. They can be adorable and laughing uncontrollably one minute, and the next minute, turn that charm off completely. They will typically smile for you all day long until you put them in front of a camera, then they freeze up like a deer in headlights. We want to avoid the gritted teeth and bug-eyed forced smiles during our session. 

Here are some things you can do: 

• Make a list of things that your child thinks are funny and send it to us prior to the session. This way, we can be prepared and add these things into our bag of tricks. 
• Give us a list of icebreakers for your child. Tell us the kinds of shows they watch, music they listen to, friends’ names, favorite story, etc. This will give us something to talk to them about, and will help them forget they’re in front of the camera.
• Practice phrases at home to see which ones evoke the best smiles from your child. (Please, oh please, avoid “Say cheese!” unless that really works for you child.) 
• Try out a couple of jokes with them. During the session, we can ask them to tell us a joke and this will typically loosen them up as they tell it to us.
• If there is a song that your child loves, load it up to your phone and bring it along with you, or be prepared to sing it for them during the session.
• Prepare a bribe (such as a toy, a trip to the zoo, etc.) and show it to them, or remind them of it, during the session.

Getting a good smile can help make the session more enjoyable for everyone involved and these simple tips will help that happen. What do you do to get your children to smile? Let me know in the comments!