Sports Photography

This winter I offered a special kind of session, Athlete Minis. In my dreams I envisioned Steph Curry knocking on the studio door for some fresh portraits. I mean, that totally could’ve happened. And if it had, he would’ve gotten a bangin’ deal.

Instead, a handful of people, representing several different sports, at all different levels and ages, trickled in for photos over the last three months. I don’t mean for that to sound like a downer, it was actually quite awesome. I mean, it wasn’t Steph Curry awesome, but it was like one teeny tiny baby step below Steph Curry on the awesome spectrum.

Pretty much.

I really loved hearing the stories of passion and commitment these young athletes have for their sport(s). When you’re an athlete as a kid, sports are very much a part of your identity. It’s where you spend your time (and your parents dime) – I made a rhyme. Okay I’ll stop.

To be completely honest, this guy wasn’t all that interested in having his picture taken. He’s nine. He’s a boy. It’s in the DNA, I do not take it personally. If I did, I wouldn’t be on speaking terms with anyone in my house. I digress. Within 30 seconds, he realized I was better than the dentist; he didn’t have to smile, he got to wear his uniform and do (or at least pretend to do) what he loves. By the end of the session (which took about 12 minutes) I was telling him not to smile…I think that means he was having fun.

I’m 100% certain that both he and his parents will be thankful to have these pictures in the years to come. One hundred percent.

I am also thankful to have had high school athletes in the studio as well. If you could dissect a high school athlete (not recommended) you’d find the blood, sweat, and tears of their parents. I have enough kids in enough sports to know. I also have mismatched crockpot lids that tell stories of being plugged into the wall sockets of every elementary, middle, and high school in my community.

High school AAU athletes don’t just happen during junior year, they are years and years in the making. If these pictures could talk, they’d tell stories of her mom tossing a winter coat over her pjs as she heads out at 9pm in 2 degree temps to pick her up from practice, or traveling across two states for a game…in the snow, or the time she was 12 and hit the ground hard, but got up and played on while holding in tears…and how her dad grumbled a little too loudly because there was no foul called. Oh the stories these photos would tell.

Okay. I’m getting teary. Lol. I may just be a little too close to this sport to write about it.

Let’s look at something cute before this gets awkward:

I Ahh. I feel better already. She’s a lot of ham, this one.

I don’t really know where this post is going. I suppose I’m just feeling thankful for the opportunity to capture this part of life. It’s the middle years of a child’s life that are often neglected when it comes to photography. People tend to be really good at capturing milestones when kids are babies, but then the child, tween, and teen years sort of slip by. I’m guilty of it myself. Writing this post has helped me resolve to drag my babies in the studio for a formal sports photo.

The Athlete Mini-Sessions will go away on March 30th. If you’re interested in getting your child photographed, don’t delay. You can register here today. And Also, Steph Curry, there’s still like two more weeks, just sayin’.

Maine Family Photographer | The Roys

I just finished up Griffin’s first year gallery and moved his folder of images from my desktop to my external storage drive. Sigh…he’s all grown up. I get sort of nostalgic about my clients, often peaking into all their file folders to look at the journey we’ve taken together.

The Roys came in for a maternity mini-session last January.

Pretty darn cute, right?

Even her belly was cute.

Then a few short months later I was meeting their little guy.

I had to coax him to sleep a little bit, but as soon as I started telling him stories about my childhood, and he was out cold.

Six months later things had changed quite.a.bit.

He was silly and smiley and ready for me to act insane in order to get his attention and affections.

And then it inevitably came, as birthdays have a tendency to do…the big ONE.

And for nostalgia’s sake, dad wore the same sweater that he wore to the maternity session. I love that so much.

But everything else had changed so much. In just one year. How does that even happen?

The first year of a person’s life is incredible. I will forever be in awe of it and thankful for the opportunity I have to capture those monumental changes and milestones.

 

Southern Maine Engagement Photographer

Throughout the first few years of my business I turned away engaged clients, stating that I didn’t photograph weddings, sooooo….yeah…. no soup for you.

However, a few people snuck in, those who sort of tugged on my heartstrings saying that they really really reeeeaaaallllly wanted me to photograph them, but since I didn’t shoot weddings would I pretty-please-with-sugar-on-top capture their engagement? Since they used the magic word (sugar), I obliged.

And I liked it. A lot.

Photographing people in love is actually awesome. I would drive home from every session feeling all warm and fuzzy, smiling from ear to ear. After the 2nd or 3rd engagement session, I decided I would no longer turn these sweet lovebirds away.

This past year I invested in training geared towards engagement photography. I knew what I wanted our engagement sessions to look like and I wanted to ensure that I was equipped to make the photos that I had envisioned by capturing the unique connection between our clients. I wanted to photograph them, but more importantly, their love.

Capturing emotion is art.

I’m officially putting out the love-birdfeeder.

so..lovebirds…bring us your love. 😉

 

 

 

Mini Me

Approximately 7,452,907 times a year I get asked the question, “what’s the difference between a mini session and a full session?”.  It’s a great and very valid question, one that I would ask myself if I were considering photoshoot options. Instead of answering it 7,452,907 times, I figured I’d answer it here on the blog so that we can all be on the same page.

A mini-session is a shorter photoshoot session. Mini-sessions typically last 10 – 20 minutes (depending on the type of session). They are offered several times throughout the year on dates and at locations that we choose. Mini-sessions are budget-friendly, and a great option for those who wish to have photos taken several times per year. Minis have their own terms, most of our mini-sessions include 6 digital images and a print release. However, the terms may change depending on the season and type of session being offered. Our standard mini-session is currently $185 for a 15-minute session that includes 6 high resolution digital images.

Family Orchard Mini Session w/Lynn

A full session is a 50-60 minute session on a date and location of your choosing (we will help you choose a location based on your preferences). A full session yields an online gallery of 25+ images which you can then purchase as digital files (with a print release) or as prints. Your images are placed online, in a password-protected gallery which you can view from home or smartphone. You can also forward your gallery to other family members so they can view and purchase images as well. The session fee for a full photoshoot is currently $159. In addition to the session fee, our clients typically spend $250-$400 on their prints or digital images.

Family Lifestyle Beach (Full) Session w/Lynn

Pros:

Mini-sessions are quick and painless for those who don’t LOVE getting photographed (toddlers, teen boys, some husbands, cough..including my own). Minis are easy in, easy out. They are also “all inclusive”, you don’t have to pour through 25 images trying to figure out which ones you like best. You tell me what you want when you arrive (ie: 2 family shots, one of just the kids, one of each of them, and one of us). Boom. That’s what I shoot and that’s what you get. Easy. Minis include the digital images so you can get them printed on your own. If you want professional prints from our gallery, you can purchase them at 50% off. Minis are also budget-friendly, they enable many of our clients to get professional photographs several times per year.

 

 

Studio Toddler Mini Session w/Erin

Full sessions tend to be more relaxed, more of an “experience”. We walk, we talk, we giggle. You tell me embarrassing stories about your kids and I capture it all with my camera. The photoshoot itself can become a fun family memory. We have time to stop and play, to give breaks to toddlers, to run around and take a few artsy or detail photos. Since the galleries are larger, you can choose photos you like, which may not be my favorite (my own personal favorite photos of my family depict us laughing, they may not have been the ones the photographer chose for me). With full sessions, you also get to choose the date and location of your session.

Fall Family (Full) Session w/Erin

Fall Senior Portrait (Full) Session w/Erin

Cons:

Basically, the opposite of the above pros. Okay, all this negativity is a downer.

Let’s end this with something cute.