Julie and Josh: A Snowy Maternity Session

I had previously photographed Julie, a friend from way back, and her husband, Josh, along with their "fur babies", Desmond and Penny.  That fall session experience stands out as one of my most enjoyable sessions to date. 

Once can only imagine then how thrilled I was when Julie contacted me with the the exciting news that they were now expecting their first child!  Julie was crossing her fingers that we would have a snowy day for her maternity photos and thanks to the white-and-wild, record breaking winter we have had here in Ohio, we got exactly what we wished for. There was thick, fresh snow all around, even still sticking to tree branches and a warm glowing sun which made for awesome back lighting.  As an added bonus, the temperature for the day was NOT down around the 0-degree mark, as it had been seemingly MOST of the winter! If not for our chilly toes which were buried in snow most of the time, we would have thought it a heatwave. It all set the perfect scene to allow Julie (just 3 weeks from her due date) and Josh to snuggle together, laugh, dance, and celebrate the miracle of their love!

After the Session: Different ways to enjoy your images... Gallery Wraps!

One of the areas I want MOST to improve upon in 2014 is helping my clients AND myself find ways to truly get the most out of our photos.  I am probably one of the worst offenders in the "I have the files in my computer, but I'll print them next week" department.  And I have watched over the past 2 years as so many of my friends, family, and clients have done the same.  The thing I notice though, is that once a couple of weeks go by... we never do get around to making those prints, creating those albums or order those special gifts for Grandma.  

Think for a moment... how many times have you flipped through Grandma and Grandpa's photo albums or boxes of photos, staring in awe at the site of your Grandfather in his super fashionable, plaid, polyester pants or your Dad as a baby chewing on a crib bar which is surely coated in lead-laced paint (what?!  and he survived!).  Or those wedding photos of your parents, the antique images of your great, great, aunts and uncles, your first pet, or your first days home.  Weren't you tiny... and pretty cute, 1980s baby-fashion and all.  We're all so fortunate to have those photos, but what are we doing for our children?  Are we living a visual legacy for them?  books of images, boxes of old photos, piles of old framed images?  Uh, no.  Sadly for the vast majority of us, we aren't. 

We are part of a new generation where we have the luxury of seeing our photos without actually having them physically in our hands.  But, hey, we don't need tactile items to SEE photos.  We have screens!  We have our IPhones and HUGE monitors.  Pretty lucky, aren't we?  But wait.  Will our kids have the same kinds of phones we have when they're 30?  Will they be using the same format of computers as we are now?  Will JPEG files even exist or will they be just a thing of the past, just like the golden and green striped wallpaper of granny's kitchen you saw in those photos.  Just this afternoon I struggled to help my grandfather recover his digital address book as the format it was running in the old computer model is no longer supported in the new one.  What will our families do when this happens to our photo files?  What happens when all of those photos you safely store on an external drive are no longer supported by computers and your children don't have a way of seeing those photos of themselves growing up? This is heartbreaking to me and I am ready to make the change and make sure there is proof, in 100 years, that I did indeed exist in this world.  And that I took a lot of pictures along the way.

I hope you will try out at least 1 new display option you will read about in this series of blogs.  I will be calling on my BA in Interior Design to help you find ways to work these items into your home.  That's right friends!  I will be drawing on BOTH of my passions... photography and Interior Design! 


GALLERY WRAPS

I am choosing to start this series talking about Gallery Wrap Canvas.  We have all seen them and some of you may even have them on the walls of your home.  But, the reason I am starting with this product as a focus is because I just received a 24" x 36"  canvas piece I ordered for a a client and it is INCREDIBLE. The clarity of the image is perfect and the craftsmanship is clean and elegant.  Did I mention this item is 3' tall?  It has presence, to say the least.

Gallery Wrap Canvasses can be a fantastic and attention-getting piece to add to your home.  For one thing, they are timeless and unlike a framed print, which can become dated as frame styles phase in and out, the clean look can appeal to any interior style, be it be a classic, traditional space or a sleek-lined, modern environment.  They can work anywhere. If your space lacks a well defined focal point, then a large single-canvas or a grouping of smaller gallery wrap pieces could be exactly what you need to help give that bedroom or living room the "wow", attention-getting element every space needs!





But... Be Warned: Not all Gallery Wraps are Created Equal!
That's right, though there are literally hundreds of vendors and companies which produce or sell these items, not all are creating wall art that is of a quality meant to last.  Yet, of course, they will all claim to be the best.  So let's walk through a few key points to a QUALITY Gallery Wrap:


Corners:  You want these corners to be clean in appearance and tight with little gap.  Uniformity is another key as you want all 4 corners to be identical.

The corner of the canvas should appear clean, neatly folded and NOT bulky.

Image Quality:  A quality canvas will have a crisp and clear image that looks like that of the original.  Not sure how large you can take your photos?  Check with your photographer!

Even in this 24" x 36" canvas, this gorgeous girl's eyes still have the same clear sparkle and defined lashes as they do in smaller, "safer" size enlargements.

Backings:  Some canvas companies will leave the back of the canvas open, where you will find the stretchers and staples fully exposed.  This leaves the delicate canvas VERY exposed from not just the front, but also the back.  Other companies will finish off the piece with a durable, yet lightweight board.  This will add a little weight to the piece, but it gives durability and protection to the backside of your gallery wrap.  Well worth the extra money for the stability this can add.

The backings also hide the cut edges and folds and protect them from becoming pulled or damaged .

Little Extras:  A good canvas company will add special, finishing touches to make sure they are doing everything they can to guarantee they are providing their customers with a quality piece. These extras can be a variety of surface finishes options or water resistant coating, extra strong mounting brackets, or small rubber bumpers on the back of the piece.  Again, these, along with everything else I mentioned, are all the signs of a company that wants to provide you with quality, not just the cheapest available option.

(Left) Rubber "Bumpers" will protect your wall when the Gallery wrap is hung or re positioned.  On a daily basis, these helpful little guys can keep that art hanging level to the ground, how you placed it on day one. Without these, the slamming of a door might knock it off balance.  (Right) Durable wire hangers or brackets are key when mounting your Gallery Wrap to the wall.

And one more thing... about picking your images:  Be careful when selecting your images!  While you may love a certain image, it doesn't mean it's PERFECT for putting into Gallery Wrap Format.  If the focus isn't super sharp or if cropping the image at all will leave off important details (most standard gallery sizes require at least a little cropping), it might not be the right choice.  Again, this is a place where your photographer will be able to help you.

So now that you have learned a little about Gallery Wraps, are you ready to run and place your order?!  They do make pretty great Valentine's day Gifts! Happy February, Everyone!  More Posts to come to help you decide what to do with your images Post-Photo Session!

 If you have had a previous session with Shannon Barth Photography and you are interested in ordering a Gallery Wrap for yourself or someone you love, contact me for special pricing!  Let's get those images up where you can enjoy them!  If you haven't had a session, contact me!  I can help with that too! ;)

My Session with Kate: Every reason why in-home sessions can be AWESOME!

Kate's birthday is in January, and for a parent like Caroline, this isn't the easiest time of year to try for fabulous and NATURAL photos of her gorgeous little girls.  But, like many parents, including myself and my January birthday-boy, there are a couple of options to getting in those "commemorative" photos.

The most common options are:

-Wait until warmer weather:  I have done this one, although I often feel like at the early ages, they change SOOO quickly!  by the time spring comes around, my little guy is several months older and now I can't go back in time and get that official "coming of age" portrait.

-Pop into a Photographer's studio:  This is a great, safe option.  There will be no crazy weather and lighting will be exact and predictable.  BUT... how much personality do you get out of those images?  For me, photographing young children is about capturing a little piece of them and taking a safe and "portrait-perfect-picture" doesn't do that for me.  I like to tell a story and that is just my personal photography style. I want the photos to share just a little bit of how they would be shy and hide behind mom's leg, then how they were curious of the bug they found on the flower and then how they would light up at the way that bug would fly off.  I want to be able to play and run around with the kids I photograph in order to get those genuine smiles that as parents, we want to always hold onto. 

And that brings me to another option...

-In home, Lifestyle sessions:  YAY!  These have become something for me to look forward to in the winter months when I can't be in my usual outdoor settings.  I get to have photo time with the little ones and their families in a place that they know, love, and are comfortable in.  An added bonus is that this environment carries a TON of sentimental meaning for the entire family.  Sure, I have to tote some extra lighting equipment with me, but I get to follow the kiddos around as they show me and play with their favorite toys.  They might take a seat in their favorite reading spot or maybe go for a jump on Mommy and Daddy's bed.  Family Pets can often find their way into the phots and I love that.  

My session with Kate, the first for 2014, was an absolute Joy.  I showed up to find Kate and her sister Claire in matching ADORABLE ensembles.  I got my lighting set up and we just let Kate go.  She played with her toys a bit then we got her to sit in a nicely lit seat and MAGIC!  From her balloon to the soft light to her sweet smile... I love that image to pieces.  Then we got a couple more beautifully lit shots of her staring out into the snow-filled backyard.  I love these as they show another side of Kate.  Not the laughing and playing one, but the Calm Kate filled with wonderment. 

We did some photos on the stairs in the entry with both girls and I can't tell you how much I loved images of little ones peeking through or around objects. So when both girls started peeking through the spindles of the Stair rails... LOVE!  When kate wanted her sippy cup, again, I found this to be another beautiful moment as she took some well-earned sips from her cup while Mommy held her and gave her a pep-talk to get her through the rest of our time.  If sippy cups didn't work... skittles did! 

 

Next Kate showed us her room and her favorite reading spot where she took a little rest with a book.  Again, I loved this moment and the resulting shots.  Caroline told me that this is a daily thing for Kate and because of that, these were a couple of my favorites. 

Next, we let the girls head to mommy and daddy's room for a couple of bounce on the bed shots.  Kate was still in reading-mode though and so we got yet another of her reading .

By this time, our little 2 year old super-star was pooped... but her gorgeous big sister hopped up into a chair and rocked a cute smile and pose and lord knows we had to get that photo!  (ps... any of you who have followed me probably recognize this beauty.  She's graced my Facebook Cover photo several times and many of my mini-session announcements.  She's so photogenic and so much fun!!).

This session only confirmed for me that the best locations for children's photos aren't always what you expect.  Sure, I love shooting at parks, fields, Farms, and colorful downtown Lebanon as much as the next person, but sometimes the best place to do your child's session is right in the comfort of their own home.

*For more information on sessions, please contact me!

 

Best of 2013 Weddings

I need to throw a HUGE shout-out to all of the amazing couples that I was so lucky to work with this year!  Each event was full of love and laughter and so much joy that my face hurt after a long day of smiling so much while snapping those beautiful moments!

Building a relationship with my Brides and Grooms is so much fun for me.  In several of this year's weddings, I already knew a member of the happy couple.  The little brother of a best friend, a long time friend of the family, an old friend I grew up in dance class with.  And for several of the weddings, I met the bride and Groom to be at our "Pre-wedding Pow-wow"... or even on the day of the event! it didn't matter how long I had known these couples though, had it been 15 years or 15 minutes, I cried at each wedding as if I had known them ALL for years! (not ashamed to say, Yes.  I am that photographer.  I have emotions and guests will find a tear of joy running down the cheek that is pressed against the black box with the flash attached to it). I can proudly say that I started 2014 with new friendships on account of the fun we all had together as I chased them for an entire day as their personal paparazzi.  So thankful for you all!

And now... Some of my favorites from 2013!

It's a New Year... So here are some Newborns!

I am going to come clean about something right now for 2014:  I am a TERRIBLE Blogger (as one can plainly see from my lack of posts!).  If you follow my page on Facebook, you know very well I have shot MANY MANY more sessions that what are posted here.  And so, I'm starting fresh for the year and truly hoping I allow myself more time to share my favorites on here!

2013 was a big year for finding what I'm most comfortable shooting and what I am most pleased with as an end result.  I think one of the areas where I truly "found myself" as far as style this year was Newborn sessions.  I won't lie, when I first started out, these sessions were probably the most daunting.  Sure, I have two kids of my own, so babies aren't foreign to me, HOWEVER... finding interesting ways to shoot a little human who doesn't do much except look SUPER adorable and squishy can be a challenge.  I reviewed many other newborn photographers images for inspiration and after attempting those perfectly-posed-portrait shots... I realized that look WASN'T for me.  Sure, I feel it's important for every family to get some classic, clean "put it up in the frame" shots of their new little one, but I found that wasn't what was special about my opportunities with these new families.  That frame-perfect shot doesn't tell a story, and that's what I LOVE to do in photography.  I want  my clients to be able to put their images into a book, a book with no words, and let it speak for itself.  For Newborn sessions, I began approaching the sessions completely differently.  I go into each new baby's home now with the goal of creating a full snap shot of their life in these first few days so that in 20-30 years, they can go and pull out that book from this session and see their room, their tiny feet with the dry, peeling, newborn skin.  The umbilical cord stub, still fresh.  the first yawns, their older siblings excited little grins as they get to snuggle the new baby. The first documented smiles and how petite they were in Daddy's hands and laying against Mommy. I wanted to make sure all of those little details of the room that were so special and meaningful to mom and dad are documented too.  That First room tells so much and it gets by-passed by so many photographers!

I stopped showing up with a million blankets and backdrops to my sessions this year.  Sure, I have stuff on hand, should we need it, but I wanted the backgrounds and blankets and everything in the image to breathe life into the portfolio of images, to help set the scene.  My generic items are okay for some shots, but they mean nothing to the family.  And these images, should be packed full to the brim with meaning and sentiment.

And so, I went through my photos and here are some of my ABSOLUTE FAVORITES of 2013!  Enjoy!!!