Photography Observations - June

Serious awesomeness this month!

A while back, I was scrolling through NextDoor and came across a poster named Karyn who was seeking an affordable photographer. She wanted maternity photos, but she hadn't been able to find anything within her budget. A few neighbors posted recommendations, all in the several-hundred-dollar range.

Side note--I totally get photographer pricing. A good photographer is worth the money. And usually, you get what you pay for! But I totally know the struggle of justifying the money for what is without a doubt a luxury item.

After a great deal of internal debate, I decided to write to Karyn with an offer. I told her that I am currently working on building my portfolio, that I had never done a maternity shoot before, but that if she was interested, I would love to take her photos, free of charge.

She wrote back and said that she'd like to meet me. We got together that weekend. I showed her a few of my photos, and after our conversation, she said she felt good about it. We went ahead and scheduled her maternity shoot for early June, when she would be 7 months along.

I met Karyn and her husband at Duke Gardens on a Saturday evening. I hope it didn't show too badly, but I was quite nervous! It was my first time taking photos for someone I don't know. It might be a little strong to call her a "client" but that's how I thought of her, and it was really important to me to be professional. I think I rushed a bit, but beyond that, I had a great time shooting. Similar to my sessions last month, I feel like a got a number of decent shots, and a few real treasures.

Just prior to this session, I acquired a (small) new piece of equipment: my first reflector.

Its purpose is pretty straightforward. It reflects! =) This is helpful in situation where a subject is underlit, or lit only from one angle. I used it for a couple of shots with Karyn. In the photos below, you can see what a difference the reflector made:

No reflector

With reflector

Before I left Utah at the beginning of the month, I also got to take some informal portraits at the baby blessing of my new little niece. The lighting wasn't ideal in many shots, but I still enjoyed capturing some happy memories.

And, naturally, a few photos of my beloved boys. =)

Until next time!