Winter Wonderland in Texas!

Baby it's cold outside!  

In Central Texas, we don't receive much precipitation in the form of snow - IF we receive any snow at all!  But each and every winter (even though I have a strong dislike for the cold), I am a little sad when I see my Facebook news feed and all my Idaho friends and family are outside playing in the snow and enjoying snow days.  I hope one day that my two little girls will get the chance to experience a snow day, snowball fights, building a snowman, or just running through the snow as it's falling.  This is the very reason that I decided to introduce Winter Wonderland Imagination Sessions!

Winter Wonderland Sessions are extremely limited due to the amount of time that goes into planning and editing each image.  Only four sessions are available during the months of December and January.

Families that took advantage of these sessions enjoyed spending time with their family in a fun, imaginative session.  It is amazing to watch every member of the family get so into the session!  We've created snowball fights, campfires in the snow, dancing in the snow, snuggling loved ones under a blanket, saw reindeer and polar bears!  The sky is the limit with these sessions!  

If you're interested in booking one of these sessions in the future, mark your calendars for next Black Friday, as that is when they will once again be available.  

Unicorns!

"Unicorns aren't real, but we wish they were."  

Everyone knows that a unicorn is a mythical horse that's white with a fancy horn, but to some adorable girls a unicorn is so much more!  To them a unicorn is an enchanted, beautiful, peaceful creature that brings out the imagination within them.  This was evident by the smiles on their faces and the sparkle in their eyes.  The Unicorn Limited Edition Sessions were a huge hit with all five girls!

I have to admit, the idea of unicorns is fascinating for many with vivid imaginations.  This prompted me to do a little research about these mythical creatures were refer to as "unicorns" and I was came up with five facts about them.

1.  The legend of the unicorn is REALLY old!  

2.  Unicorn horns were believed to have medicinal properties that were VERY potent!

3.  The unicorn is the national animal of Scotland!

4.  Unicorn horns were actually narwhal teeth!

5.  Some claim unicorns are REAL!  A deer with one horn was spotted in a wildlife park in Tuscany.

I've had many people ask me if the horse we used was real.  YES!  We used a real horse!  His name is Moonshine and he resides in Limestone County.  During the entire session with the girls, there were three adult handlers nearby to assist as needed.  The girls were never left unattended on or near the horse for safety concerns.  The horse was haltered and held onto, as well as someone with their hand on the girl.  

Growing up my stepdad introduced me to a song about unicorns that I fell in love with!  It's called "The Unicorn Song" by the Irish Rovers.  It is a song about how unicorns were real, but were left off Noah's Ark because they ran out of time.

If you are interested in a Unicorn Limited Edition Session in the future, let us know and we will gladly put you on the list to notify when we begin booking for next year's session in August.  

Fairy Wonderland

Little girls LOVE fairies!  I do too!  That is why I offer Fairy Imagination Mini-Sessions once a year.  Imagination Sessions take quite a bit more work overall and for that reason I offer them on a very limited basis. 

Planning Imagination Sessions is quite time consuming.  Each pose must be carefully thought out.  You must see the final image in your mind and determine what will be needed to create that particular image.  The client (typically a young child) must be posed in a certain way, which is all relative to their age and development.  You must also arrange for any props that might be needed.  Imagination Sessions are mainly created in post-production (Photoshop) so many of the props used are digital.  With fairy sessions, the wings are not actual wings, but rather wings created in Photoshop.  The same with wands, flowers, castles, mountains, etc.  Almost everything besides the client is added to the image, or rather the client is added to the scene. 

Photographing Imagination Sessions can also be time consuming and as I already mentioned, it pretty much depends on the child(ren).  Most children are very excited and cooperative when it comes to Imagination Sessions.  They can't wait to see themselves as a beautiful fairy with beautiful wings!  Even with the most cooperative child, they must be posed in a very specific way.  In order to accomplish this you must know what the child is capable of at that age and at that stage of their development.  This is where my years of experience as a kindergarten teacher are very useful!

Editing Imagination Sessions is a VERY lengthy process!  All the digital elements must be customized to match the scene.  The digital items need to be proportionate and blend into the scene as well.  The lighting needs to be adjusted to create a certain mood.  All of these things need to match the client's personality. 

There are three more Imagination Mini-Sessions planned for this summer!  Be on the lookout for Huck Finn, Cowboys and Indians, and something so magical I don't want to reveal it just yet!

If you have an idea for an Imagination Session, please let me know!  I always love hearing ideas from my clients.

Fairy Imagination Session with Sisters

Fairy Imagination Session

Fairy Imagination Session - close up

Fairy Imagination Session with Butterflies

My Niche - Creative Photography!

I have recently fallen in love with creative photography!  Creative photography can be defined as many things.  It can be as simple as just being creative with props, poses, and location, but it can also be a completely altered image.  Simply put, it is defined as, "altered reality."   

“Creative photography is an extension of conventional photography into creative art. Its purpose is to stimulate creative thoughts and encourage experimentation with new ideas going beyond a simple photograph.”

— http://www.ncp.org.au/creative.htm

My first creative photo, December 2014

I discovered creative photography by accident.  I stumbled upon a Facebook group with some amazing artists!  These artists assisted the members of the group by creating challenges.  They would supply several images and we had to combine them as we envisioned.  

I love all forms of photography!  Capturing a moment in time is absolutely priceless to me.  Creative photography allows you to add elements into an image which can make it more fun and playful (as above) or it can give extra meaning to an image which is otherwise impossible to capture. 

A creative photograph that enhances an image to add emotion.  This little boy was sick and passed away.  He always wanted to climb a tree, but was unable to do so.  A member in the group mentioned above asked us to create a photograph of the young boy climbing a tree.  These photographs were impossible to capture, but have a lot of meaning for the family.

This summer I took advantage of my six children being home and had fun with creative photography!  My younger girls were my models and the older kids helped with the setup, posing, and ideas.  We turned our living room into a sea.  We turned an ordinary sunset into a painting.  And I currently have plans for the puffy clouds in a bright, blue sky!  The possibilities are endless with creative photography!

The living room became a sea with boats!

An ordinary sunset became a canvas for the girls to paint the night sky!

From time to time I have "Imagination Mini-Sessions."  I typically have two themed Imaginative Mini-Sessions per year which are specially priced and have a very limited availability.  However, I am toying with the idea of adding a Christmas themed Imagination Mini-Session.

If you have a certain theme in mind, just let me know and I can put together something special for your family!  The sky is the limit with creative photography!

The Day I Met Huckleberry Finn

Last Wednesday began as typical as any other day.  I knew I had a fun, Huck Finn themed session later that evening, but nothing could have prepared me for how amazing it was going to be! 

I knew "Huck Finn's" mother was just as excited as me (if not more so) because she was asking for my opinion about his outfit well before the session.  I absolutely love when my clients are so excited about the upcoming session!  That energy is captured and makes the photographs so much more beautiful.

I arrived at the location and met up with "Huck Finn" and some of his family members.  "Huck Finn" was so cooperative for such a young boy and complied with every request willingly.  Maybe it's because he was so excited.  Or maybe it was because he just loved spending time with me.  Or maybe (and more than likely) he wanted to go swimming after our session :) 

Certain poses and ideas are easy for young children to understand.  These are the typical type of photos that work in themed sessions such as this, but are more of a "regular" session type of edit.  For example, this photo of "Huck Finn" fishing.

Other poses however are a bit more difficult for children to understand, such as the boat photograph.  This image started with him standing nice and tall holding a cane pole.  That is it.  I told him that he was standing like that because he was going to be on a boat.  Of course, he wanted to know where the boat was.  I explained it was like magic and it would show up after I put the photographs on my computer.  He was such a sport throughout the entire session!

I had so much fun during this session and I am looking forward to sharing this experience with other children!  If you are interested in booking a "Huck Finn Imagination Session," now is the time as I have two dates approaching for the mini-sessions.

Huck Finn mini-session

Huck Finn patiently waiting for his cane pole to get set up

Huck Finn fishing

Huck Finn enjoying the beautiful day

Huck Finn camping among the fireflies

Huck Finn!

As Keith Thibodeaux once said, "I liked Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, and that is the kind of character that I would have like to have played."  Thank you for visiting my blog! 

P.S.  Mention this blog article and receive a 10% discount on your Huck Finn Imagination Mini-Session on August 1st in Mexia or August 8th in Waco.

My FIRST Blog Post...EVER!

Man oh man, things are sure heating up in Central Texas!  The temperature is very close to 100 degrees nearly (if not) everyday lately.  During this time of warm temps I am staying cool in the house when possible, which consists of trying to keep up with the household and focus on getting Smith Family Photography digital.  By digital I mean that contracts will soon be going digital - no more printing!  That makes me SO happy!  It also means that I have updated my packages to streamline the ordering process.  Every package will now give you the option to purchase professional quality prints as well as high resolution digital images on a disc with a print release.  Finally, I am launching the NEW website!  I am totally excited about this since I am definitely NOT tech savvy and felt like throwing the computer several times while putting it all together.  Let's just say...the computer survived :)  All of these exciting changes will be (hopefully) implemented by August 1st, 2015.

As the title explains, this is my very first blog post ever - or eva - as my daughter, Lily, likes to say!  I am hoping to contribute to the Smith Family Photography blog weekly...that is my goal.

Let's talk business now.  Smith Family Photography has been an official business since June of 2014.  In a year's time I have taken LOTS of photographs!  I have taken children, family, newborn, maternity, wedding, bridal, engagement, senior, boudoir, team sports, and event photographs.  This year I will be adding school photography to that list. 

During this time I have found my niche if you will.  I have found a true passion for imaginative type children's sessions!  These require a great deal of planning and post editing to get "the look" that I envision in my mind.  Speaking of that, tomorrow I will be heading to the modeling session for the next "Imagination Mini-Session!"  I can't wait to show you!  Hmmm...perhaps that will be the subject of the next blog post??

My daughters with a fun, imaginative setting!