Hello blog readers! This is Kelly Gill, Jennifer’s studio assistant, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute to her blog. I am going to dive into today’s post with a confession: I have a bit of a totally appropriate and professional crush on Jennifer.  Monday mornings are always better because I know I get to head over to her office, share some coffee talk with her, commiserate about the perils of motherhood (as well as share the joys, of course!) and then delve into her world as a photographer. The joy, sweetness and poignancy of her photographs always take me on a journey that I look forward to and if you are reading this blog, we already have something in common- we adore this gal and her images!

Since Jennifer is offering mini- portrait sessions on April 24th, I thought I would pass on some portrait planning tips:

Tip #1: Don’t forget about wardrobe for the adults. I know many parents (and let’s face it, I’m really talking to the moms on this one) who spend hours agonizing over the outfits for the kids and then are left with what for themselves? A faded black shirt? The not-so-perfect necklace? You are going to scrutinize yourself in these pictures so make sure you are wearing something that gives you that little spring in your step, but something that moves easily and that you feel good in. You will be much happier with the end result. (I’ll be sharing some fun ideas for clothing here next week, so stay tuned…)

Tip #2: Shed the stress. I know how it goes the day of a shoot: the clothes need to be ironed AGAIN, your hair won’t cooperate, child #1 is feeling ornery, you get into a spat with significant other, and then you almost run out of gas on the way to the photo shoot. Photo shoots are stressful for parents, simply put. But try, try, try to forget all that and start the session with a deep breath. Look at your beautiful family and try appreciate the moment. Your pictures will show your happiness and love for your family — or your stress and tension. And remember that you won’t have to really think about any of this again for another year or so :-)

Tip #3: Be prepared, but manage your expectations (for your kids). I actually went to a shoot once at 9AM without feeding my children breakfast and without a snack stash. Hello catastrophe! Here is what I must pass on to you: bring water for everyone, snacks to bribe your kids (yes, we all do it, stop beating yourself up about it), and toys or lovies to comfort the kiddos. Jennifer is fully aware that a child’s threshold for “behaving” in photo shoots is roughly 15 minutes and she is an expert at going with the flow. Lower your expectations and go with the flow too. Logically, we know that firmly demanding (i.e., yelling through clinched teeth) that your child sit still, smile and be charming doesn’t work, yet our emotions get in the way and we just want it all to be perfect. If you let the kids do their thing, Jennifer will do hers, and you will see the genuinely charming side of your family reflected in the images. Promise!

JB fans, thanks for reading my debut post! I will be back at it next week with some clothing ideas for spring and summer portrait shoots.

Spring happiness to all!

Kelly

Order ANY PRINT in ANY SIZE from your online proofing gallery (portraits or weddings) and we will throw in an extra one FREE!

Expires Sunday, April 11th @ Midnight PST

*Free print will be exact duplicate & same size of primary print(s) ordered. No limit to number of prints you can order. Offer also applies to expired galleries*

How to Order:

Login to your online gallery with the password you have been provided from any session. (*If your online proofing gallery has expired, please send us an email to jen@jenniferphotography.com with “Re-Release my Event Please” in the subject header, and your name in the body of the email and the session you would like to order from, so we can re-release your event.)

Order any prints you would like. You will receive the same number of duplicates for any print you order, of the same size. For example, if you would like 4 copies of a 5×7 print, just order two (2) of that print and you will automatically receive four (4) copies.

All prints are produced at our professional lab, are archival quality and are guaranteed to last generations. Includes professional lustre or metallic images!

If you have any questions, or need assistance, please contact the studio at 602.402.5600 or via email.

Print sale ends at midnight on April 11, 2010. Any orders placed after that will no longer qualify for the free prints.

Last weekend (the 10th), my husband and I travelled out to Napa Valley to 1) photograph Traci and Ryan’s AMAZING wedding and 2) to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. It was the perfect place to enjoy some time together, especially considering we both love good food & wine (almost impossible to get otherwise there), great weather, and sleeping in on occasion. We enjoyed all of these things immensely.

Regarding their wedding, I don’t know how to adequately express how much I loved it. First, they are a spectacular couple, so that alone made it great, but then their families and friends had to be so great as well, the decor incredible, and the location… well, romantic, beautiful, perfect. Dee Merz, who coordinated the whole affair did a terrific job. I know I’m gushing. But for those who know me well, I don’t gush for pretense. I would love to share and post photos from their wedding, but I cannot quite yet. We are going to submit their wedding to some national bridal magazines and I don’t want to take any chances with them not being published for already been seen online. However, friends & family have access to a private slideshow and all the wedding images via Traci and Ryan. And any couples who are having a wedding in Napa Valley, California and wish to see examples from a Beaulieu Garden wedding, just send me an email and I’d be happy to share images.

In the meantime, here are some images from their engagement guest signature album that we put together. I travelled to Napa Valley back in July for their engagement session and we got some great images!

Speaking of guest signature albums and wedding albums in general, I’m happy to announce that several of my templates are available for purchase at the Photojunction Store. If you need help designing albums, Photojunction is such a great resource and tool. I was honored to be asked to be included in their new store launch and think it’s such a great resource for all those out there who want to design wedding albums quickly and beautifully.