Preparing your family for a successful photo session!

As the 2019 season gears up into full swing, I want to help but answering some questions that plague most of us when we decide to book a portrait session. The most common question my clients ask me is, “What should we wear to our session?”.

This first suggestion I have is start with mom! As women we are always the most critical of our appearance. We need to feel comfortable and beautiful. Our partners and children will be easier when it comes to that. Coordinating to what we wear is a great first step.

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Next, What is the weather like? Think about your location and what the day will be like. If you are cold, you will look cold in your images. For Fall and Winter, I love layers. Different combinations of textures and materials adds a level of interest to the image.

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What is the color palette of your home? I am sure that surprises some! Think about it, if you are going to be placing wall art up to preserve the memories that you have just captured, do you want it to clash with the decor in your house? Makes sense now doesn’t it!

Finally I suggest complementary colors, no bold patterns, and something that complements your eyes or your skin tone. Blue is always a stunning color for someone with blue eyes. I love neutrals! When you wear neutral colors you, as a person, tend to be the focus of the image and not the clothing that you are wearing. Having everyone match is not necessary. I like to see some individual style shine through.

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I hope this helps! Call or email to set up your session today! 508-244-4073 or kathy@themirroredimage.com

Mommy and Me Mini Sessions are back by popular demand!

 

Just in time for Mother's Day, Mommy and Me Spring Minis are a cute, cost-effective way to create beautiful Mother's Day gifts or update your photos of your children. This year's Spring Mini's will be held at World's End in Hingham, MA. Book a session as a treat for yourself, or as a gift for a mom you know. Want to have a Mini-Session for just the kids? No problem! You also have the option to book a Spring Mini styled for a children's shoot.

Each Mini-Session booking will receive a Styling Consult to receive wardrobe guidance and advice, a 30-minute photo shoot with Kathy of The Mirrored Image Photography, a Portrait Reveal to view and order images from the mini-session, and a total of 7 full resolution digital downloads with and print release, all for $199!

Only 8 slots are available for Saturday May 13, 2017.

Mommy and Me Spring Minis include: 

  • (1) Styling Consult
  • (1) 30-minute photo shoot
  • (7) fully retouched images for viewing
  • 20% print products

Additonal products may be ordered using our special Mini-Session Pricing

 

To reserve your Mommy and Me Spring Mini (or Spring Mini), purchase your ticket for your Mini Session Retainer. We will use the email address on file to send you all the information you need about your Mini Session booking, and to set a date for your Style Consult.

Your ticket purchase includes:

  • (1) Mommy and Me Spring Mini-Session Reservation (with remaining balance due at time of your shoot)

Admission to World's End for Trustees members and children free. Nonmember adults: $6. The Client (You) will need to make sure you have

For more info, visit our website at www.themirroredimage.com

Spring is coming! Are you wondering what to wear to your spring sessions? Let me help!

Spring is fast approaching! No complaints here.  This is one of my favorite times of year and one of my favorite times for photographing.  So much new life and happiness!

As a full service boutique firm I always guide my clients individually on what to wear but I like to offer helpful hints to the general public too!

The color to watch for this year is Greenery, what could say spring more!

See Greenery and some of the other colors to pair it with!

See Greenery and some of the other colors to pair it with!

So how can you relate this to clothing and coordinate?  Here are some ideas!

Looking for something a little more playful for the kids?

How about these spring choices!

 

Stay tuned for some outfit selections for the season from my favorite Children's Boutique.  Next week we will be showing off some of the spring easter colors in honor of our up coming easter sessions with Tiny Hanger in Brookline!

One Year Old Cake Smash

I absolutely love seeing the same families all the time.  It warms my heart to create such special moments.  To see kids grow and develop into their little personalities.  It amazes me how fast things seem to go.  

I was so thrilled for this family when they adopted their first child.  Then I was able to help cherish the moment of their adoption of their second child.  So when they came back again this year it was a real treat to see just how much both kids have changed and developed.  

These kids are so sweet.  They were not much of a cake smasher group per se, but they did like the sugar!  Take a look

A little frosting on the nose..One year cake smash

A little frosting on the nose..One year cake smash

Some times all it takes at a cake smash is a little help from your family

Some times all it takes at a cake smash is a little help from your family

Tasting the frosting at the cake smash

Tasting the frosting at the cake smash

Cake smash Collage! 

Cake smash Collage! 

We will take these warm days in Boston!

It has been so nice and temperate here in the Boston Area!  We love getting outside and just breathing the fresh ocean air!  What better time for me to practice some photo and video for the upcoming spring season.  So many of my families love that we can really capture these moment for their families with beautiful art pieces for their walls or an album but also with a video for them to share with their kids as a cherished moment.  

Take a peek at what this looks like with my newest video!  

Here are some of the great images we captured too!  What will you have to capture these moments for your children?  Call me today! 508-244-4073

Winter Street Photography

Winter in Boston can be a cold and grey time but it can also provide some really fun backdrops for creative photo sessions.

Today I took my baby girl out to take some fun photos and to show how much fun the winter can be.

 

As always Lucy did not disappoint, she hammed it up for the camera and we had so much fun, and maybe earned a cookie along the way :)

Winter Street Photography!  Let it snow!

Winter Street Photography!  Let it snow!

Winter Street Photography!  Let it snow!

Winter Street Photography!  Let it snow!

Winter Street Photography!  Let it snow!

Winter Street Photography!  Let it snow!

Winter Street Photography!  Let it snow!

Winter Street Photography!  Let it snow!

Winter Children's Street Photography!  Let it snow!

Winter Children's Street Photography!  Let it snow!

Winter Children's Street Photography!  Let it snow!

Winter Children's Street Photography!  Let it snow!

Winter Children's Street Photography!  Let it snow!

Winter Children's Street Photography!  Let it snow!

zWinter Children's Street Photography!  Let it snow!

zWinter Children's Street Photography!  Let it snow!

Winter Children's Street Photography!  Let it snow!

Winter Children's Street Photography!  Let it snow!

Winter Studio Family Portraits

You might not believe it but you can have so much fun and come out with some amazing and engaging photos on just a simple background.  I am so inspired by this family.  They were so much fun to work with.  We laughed and talked. We played with confetti.  They were so much fun to work with.

It is so great to have that rapport with people that just puts them at ease and makes thing so exciting and fun for them.  Not to mention this was a birthday gift for their mom! Her daughter flew in to surprise her and then booked a photo session for the 4 of them to make the day super special!  What an amazing gift!  

Check out some of the fun images we captured from our session!

Family Studio Photography

Family Studio Photography

This next one sort of reminds me of a Gap ad...what a beautiful family, Right!?!

Indoor Family Photo

Indoor Family Photo

Family Photography with Confetti...Could it get more fun?

Family Photography with Confetti...Could it get more fun?

So excited to be published!

One of my goals for this year is to share my knowledge and expertise with other photographers.

What better way to do that than to share some marketing ideas.

I am so thrilled to say that my ideas have been published!  Ever Illuminated was created to celebrate, inspire, and educate photographers.

I am so inspired by their work and so happy to be able to contribute here.

http://www.everilluminated.com/marketing-with-other-businesses/

Valentine's Day Mini Sessions are here!

A couple times a year, I love to do mini sessions.  I love to make them fun and whimsical and really exciting for the kids.  What could be better than candy and balloons!  

My first mini session of the year is for Valentine's day!  Schedule a 20 minute session and receive 6 digital images plus one 5x7 print to hand to your loved one on that special day.  Nothing else could be more meaningful!  

The whole cost of a mini session is a bargain at $249.00 which is almost 40% less than the cost of a full session.

We only have a couple spots left so sign up now before time runs out! contact me at kathy@themirroredimage.com or 508-244-4073. Or click here!

Valentine's Day Mini Session Collage

Valentine's Day Mini Session Collage

Love is in the air with Valentine's Day Mini Session Photography

Love is in the air with Valentine's Day Mini Session Photography

My little Valentine at her Photography Mini Session

My little Valentine at her Photography Mini Session

2016- A year in review

Looking back at this year it has brought an abundance of lasting memories.  I am so happy that I have had the chance to share that time and space with so many great families and people.

There have been celebrations of new love, new beginnings, special moments and lots of families and children.

Overall I have much to be thankful for.  I had set the goal at the beginning of the year to tackle some of my creative projects as well and I was able to tackle most of the projects I set out for myself.

I also wanted to create some work life balance and to find time to be present for my family while still running a the best photography business for my clients.  I feel like I was also able to accomplish that goal!  

I am thankful and feel so blessed to all of you who chose me for your 2016 portraits.  I am looking forward to creating more wonderful memories in 2017!

I have decided to create a new tradition and create a year in review video. This video includes some select photography sessions from the year,  Enjoy!

Happy New Year (With Glitter and Bubbles of Course!!)

For the New Year, we have new look! We now have a photo studio in the house and what better way to break it in than to do our own fun family photos!  And what photos would be complete without bubbles and glitter?

Glitter Girl...Love!

Glitter Girl...Love!

Of course, my girl was all for that!  We spent hours just playing!  Family photos don't have to be looking at the camera.  We prefer movement and fun in our images, where our real personalities shine through.  This little ham just could not get enough!

Celebrating the New Year with some family photo fun!

Celebrating the New Year with some family photo fun!

And for the quieter more bubbly side....

Soft Bubble Portrait of my baby

Soft Bubble Portrait of my baby

Happy New Year to all!  May this year be blessed with love, family, and fun!

What makes an amazing photo of your child

Let's talk for a few moments about what makes a great photo.  I, like any other mother, get caught up in the asking my child for that nice smile.  " Aww, Baby, come on!  Just look at me! Smile for me just once.  You can have something special to eat if you just smile for the camera!!!"

My daughter is the most goofy, playful, rambunctious child!  Asking her to sit still and smile is like an exercise in futility!  And what I have found over time is that while I will get that smiling picture of her after much effort and duress. I have also found that these are not the ones I love the most.

The most amazing pictures are not the ones where your kids smile, but the ones where you capture the essence of who they are.

We went for a walk in the park this week.  I love how beautiful Lucy looked in her scarf and headband.  It took my breath away how sweet and adorable she is.  That is what I set out to capture.  She had different ideas.

And when she gets an idea she just keeps going, But her expressions and her personality really shine through.  Whether it is through facial expressions or movement, don't assume that your kids need to smile for the camera.

Because the one of them blowing you a kiss or being themselves dancing in the sunlight might be the best one that you always remember!

Autumn Leaves

One of my goals this year was taking on a personal project.  I love photographing kids and families and I wanted to add something more to that to push my creativity.

I came up with the idea of costuming.  I love the book Fairie-ality and the unique costume designs with natural elements that is shows.

I wanted to pick a dress for all 4 seasons to make (with my limited sewing skills) and photograph to make a really fun year long project.

This Autumn Leaves Dress that I photographed at World's end in Hingham is the first part of this project.  Although there were some costuming challenges like comfort for my little model and costuming skills needing to be developed, I could not have been happier with the result!

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Halloween Portrait Session-Boston Style

I love living in New England.  Boston is filled with big personalities and so many great things to see and do.  With Salem being famous for their witch trials, and really all things Halloween, this time of year can be so much fun here! 

In the spirit of this fall season, A wonderful artistic friend and I got together to create something magical and creative, Alice in Wonderland!

We set up a wonderful tea party, complete with Alice, The White Rabbit, The Mad Hatter, and the Queen of Hearts.  

Once the kids were finished, the adults took a turn having some fun!

I hope you enjoy these as much as we enjoyed making them!

 

 

Having some fun and being creative with Portrait Sessions

This is one of my favorite times of year.  I love the clean, cool crisp air.  I love the smell of the air!  I love Halloween and the upcoming holidays.  I also love all the inspiration around for creative portrait sessions.

I was so thrilled to be able to collaborate with my good friend and Makeup Artist Gabriella 

and our stunning model from Watertown Maya!  Enjoy our Red Riding Hood Portraits!

I hope you love these images as much as we do!  So much fun to make this shoot happen!

Making your session come alive

Something new I have been working on this year is adding video to my sessions.  It is something I saw being done when I attended a photography conference in Austin, Texas.  What better way to really integrate more into my sessions.

Well, families all over the Boston Area loved the idea and I have run with it ever since!  I thought it might be fun to show you where I started.  By practicing on my own daughter! 

I am totally in love with this idea.  I am thrilled to have a keepsake like this of my own child and as are the other families who have received them thus far.

Take a look at how something so simple can turn into something so meaningful!

Beautifully Perfect Family Session from a Beautifully Imperfect Day

With all the rain that we have had in and around the Boston Area, I thought it perfect to post one of the most beautiful family sessions from a day that I thought would be a total bust.  

It rained all morning.  The forecast called for showers on and off.  It had taken weeks to nail down a session time and the family that I was working with wanted to try for a session anyway.  I was game for it, but when I showed up and it was still raining 10 minutes before we began our beach portrait shoot, I had my doubts about what to do.  A few minutes before the family showed up, the rain stopped, it was still overcast but seemed like the weather was moving in our favor.

What resulted were images with soft monotone colors; A sky that blended into the sand; and a mood that made these truly perfect.

Boston Families know that in New England, you take all sorts of chances with the weather.  I am so glad that this family took a chance!

At the end check out the short video I made for them!

How the sidewalk ended- a fun photo GIF tutorial

I absolutely love creating custom photography artwork for people.  This piece is one of my favorites to date for many reasons.  

I love this family.  After spending time getting to know this family I know that without a doubt this piece speaks to exactly who these children are and who their parents are.

Their mother is a teacher and wanted a timeless family piece that captured who her children were at this very moment.  They are all inquisitive and love to explore and learn.  There is also one daredevil with no fear in the bunch!  I bet you can't guess who that is!

After reflecting on it, I was certain that I had landed upon the perfect idea for a photography piece that was exactly them.  She loved the idea of taking one of their favorite places, the beach, and using photo manipulation to create a "Where the sidewalk ends" inspired piece.  

We went out to the beach and the kids were perfect, right down to the oldest posing the youngest and showing him exactly where to be.  They were so excited and energized by the idea.  Kids love to be part of something magical and they could not wait to see the final piece.

Then the rest was up to me.  Take a look and see how it all came together!

Where the sidewalk ends inspired Photo manipulation

Where the sidewalk ends inspired Photo manipulation

Do you want to see just how fun our family sessions are?

This session certainly did not start out like any other!  It was originally supposed to be a beach session!  We were all packed. We left ourselves plenty of time in case the baby got hungry.  Imagine our surprise when we drove all the way out to the point (the end of Long Beach in Plymouth) and there was a minor sandstorm going on.  This is something I have never encountered in a beach session before!  We quickly changed our beach session to a pond session.  Thank goodness the South Shore has no shortage of different bodies of water! 

In the end we were super happy with the way the whole thing turned out.  The kids had a blast.  There was lots of dancing and playing.  The parents had a blast.  Let's face it, when our kids are happy anything is more enjoyable! These little girls have such a zest for life!  You can just see their warm and fun little personalities shine through!

I had fun including ASL into the photo shoot as well.  The littlest is deaf.  Having the opportunity to show the world as she sees it is so important to complete these family portraits and she this family as who they are and what is most important to them.  So happy to have the opportunity to experience this and work with them to capture images that are so important!

So in the warm hue of the evening light, the joy and love this family has shined through!

What it takes to photograph a toddler...(ie. some really fun outtakes of my own daughter!)

I love, love, love working with kids.  Maybe it is because I am a big kid at heart.  I love the way they view the world.  I love that they still see magic all around them.

However, as any parent will tell you toddler's have a very short attention span!  I mean really short!  I am sure you have noticed this when you have tried to photograph your own kids.

It is actually much easier to photograph other people's children, because they haven't figured you out yet!  My own child has already sized me up and knows exactly how to game the system! I may be a little bit of a push over wanting to be a child myself still!

Here are some tips for getting better shots:

1. Have everything ready to go ahead of time. If you want a picture in front of the Christmas tree make sure you have you scene set as you want it and your camera settings where you want them before you call your kids in.  For a posed shot like this you have one shot so make it count.  I get about 10 minutes before the goofiness comes out!

2.  Try for candid shots.  Catching your children at play or asking them to do something fun like running, hopping, skipping, twirling, dancing just makes a game out of things.  If you can make anything a game, you have a much better chance of getting the images you want.  When the kids are happy everyone is happy especially mama!

3. Take the pressure off. Use fun words to set the stage.  I always keep small tokens from the dollar store or a little candy on hand for both other people's kids and my own when I want some thing to happen rather than offering ultimatums.  With my own child it works well, and with other people's children it takes so much pressure off the parents to have to control the session.  They can just sit back and have fun! Also use lots of praise.  When kids know you are happy with how they are doing they tend to live up to your expectations!

4. Timing is everything.  Pick a time of day that is best for your toddler and leave some wiggle room for if things are not working out.  If you can be flexible it is always best to meet them in their happy place!

Even with everything lined up with your own kids, you will probably get a lot of outtakes.  I certainly do but then you get the ones you want!  

Even for an award winning photograph you have to work up to it!

For every photo shoot, you must invite your friends

For every photo shoot, you must invite your friends

And of course you must explain the process

And of course you must explain the process

Everyone needs to get their wiggles out before we start

Everyone needs to get their wiggles out before we start

And check out the jar

And check out the jar

Make sure your photographer chose the appropriate lighting

Make sure your photographer chose the appropriate lighting

Wait we are almost ready to pose

Wait we are almost ready to pose

Just one more goofy face, and....

Just one more goofy face, and....

We finally made it!  

We finally made it!