#yycfineartportraits – Page 4 – AdaLilly Photography

Jan

HOW TO ELIMINATE FAKE SMILES DURING YOUR SESSION

Kids are completely unpredictable.

They can be so adorable and easy going and laughing uncontrollably one minute, and the next minute, turn that charm off completely. They will typically smile for you all day long until you put them in front of a camera, then they freeze up like a deer in headlights. We want to avoid the gritted teeth and bug-eyed forced smiles during our session.

Here are some things you can do…

Make a list of things that your child thinks are funny and send it to us prior to the session. This way, we can be prepared and add these things into our ‘bag of tricks’.

Also give us a list of icebreakers for your child. Tell us the kinds of shows they watch, music they listen to, friends’ names, favorite story, etc. This will give us something to talk to them about, and will help themforget they’rein front of the camera.

Practice phrases at home to see which ones evoke the best smiles from your child. (Please, oh please, avoid “Say cheese!” unless that really works for you child.)

Try out a couple of jokes with them. During the session, we can ask them to tell us a joke and this will typically loosen them up as they tell it to us.

If there is a song that your child loves, load it up to your phone and bring it along with you, or be prepared to sing it for them during the session.

Prepare bribe (such as a toy, a trip to the zoo, etc.) and show it to them, or remind them of it, during the session.

AdaLilly Photography

Jan

THE ESSENTIAL PORTRAIT COLLECTION

‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.’ ~ Leondardo Da Vinci

There is nothing more pure and sophisticated than that of the simplest Children’s Portrait. A huge passion and goal behind my why was to fill homes with timeless beautiful art of their loved ones. While some may love colour and don’t get me wrong I do too, there is something about the simple of whites that makes me feel oh so calm. It leaves the most angelic softness to any portrait.

∞

This collection is my newest one and my absolute favourite one. It will be offered this year in the studio and is open for bookings. For wardrobe options please chat with us when scheduling your session.

AdaLilly Photography

Jan

WEDNESDAY WEIGH IN #3

Hello! You’re back!

STEP 5: THE ANALYTICAL EYE

The analytical eye…nows the time to be a bit more critical in choosing your photographer. When assessing a photographer’s album, it is important to remember to note those pivotal moments you want captured. For example, did the photographer capture that first look as the bride enters the room or aisle? Is there a certain clarity in the images you’re looking at for example do they appear crisp and clean or are they sharp with a delicate softness. Is there considerate composition of the images? Were there any emotional images captured that speak to you? Do the subjects in images look relaxed even if posed? You two are the most important piece of the day’s puzzle but you want to see happy images of your friends and family too!

STEP 6: ‘CLICKING’ PERSONALITIES

Probably the most important part of the process. To love a photographers work is one thing, but to love and get along with the photographer is another. The client/photographer bond is absolutely the most important aspect when choosing your photographer. A few things to note as you discuss your vision and day: Does the photographer get overjoyed with your vision as you describe it to him/her? Do they present their recommendations clearly and respectfully? Are they shy? What are their mannerisms and are they uninviting? In order to get the best gallery of images we suggest that you choose a professional that has an unyielding hold of ettiquet but is brave enough to chase those epic images, but more than that, they should help alleviate some stress of the day.

You’re photographer will be your shadow, therefore the more comfortable you are with each other the better your images will turn out. They should ask lots of questions and be a good listener.

Join us again next week for another continuation to finding your perfect photographer!

AdaLilly Photography

Jan

TIP TUESDAY #3

TIPS FOR EMOTIONALLY PREPARING YOUR HUSBAND FOR YOUR FAMILY SESSION

For some of us, preparing our husbands for the family photo session is as exhausting as preparing the kids. If your husband is happy-go-lucky about photo day, that’s excellent. If you’re dealing with someone who’s reluctant, however, then here are some things you can do to help:

Especially if this is your first session together with the family now that the kids are mobile, let him know how the session will go and discuss your expectations. Also, if you have to bribe the kids, communicate this with him so he can help remind them of the bribery.
Warn him that the kids will probably be crazy or freak out and that he should prepare himself for that. Let him know that it will still be fine and to try not to get overwhelmed or worried.
Let him know that the more helpful he is in getting himself and the kids ready, the less stressed you will be and the less chance of an argument between you arising.
Remind him that the session is a max of only one hour and then it will all be over. This way, he sees a light at the end of the tunnel and can stick it out. Even if it’s a newborn session it can take up to 3 hrs, his portion will likely only consist of an hour or less even.
Give him the stress relieving tips.
If your husband is being difficult, bribe him to cooperate during the session as well. If it works for the kiddos, it may very well work for him!
And most importantly – remind him that you love him (and that he loves you, and that’s why he’s cooperating with this). Tell him how much you appreciate his support and cooperation in this, and how pleased you are going to be with the finished photos.

AdaLilly Photography

Jan

SNEAK PEEK – NEWBORN STUDIO SESSION – THE ROWLANDS

A little sneak at a small part of this beautiful girl’s first portrait session. Ashley & David congratulations on the birth of your daughter. She is stunning and I can’t wait to show you her full gallery soon!

Thank you for choosing AdaLilly Photography!

‘There is wonder in the birth of a baby that takes us beyond the mundane and into the realm of the divine.’ ~ Unkown

Andrea
Photographer
AdaLilly Photography

Jan

TIP TUESDAY #2

CHOOSING THE BEST WAY TO DISPLAY PHOTOS IN YOUR HOME

Now that your session is over, it’s time to decide what to print! Start by thinking about where you are going to put your photos and what will look best in your home.

Canvas – There’s no better place to showcase a beautiful image than in the warmth of a home. Our luxury wall art is for the client who regards our work as a masterpiece and wants the presentation to match. Make a statement with an elegant line of wall art that is in a class of its own. Combine elegance with a high level of aesthetic appeal and available only to professionals, these craftsman pieces offer clients unique, museum-quality visuals—our original artwork in exclusive finishes.

Framed on Wall –It starts with our stunning, photographic works paired with one of our labs printing options. That print is then expertly mounted in a conservation quality, double mat that is finished with a v-groove accent around the opening. Contact us for more details.

When hanging photos on your wall (framed or canvas) you can choose to hang a single photo, or a group of photos in a collage to change it up.

Framed on Shelves, Desks, Tables – a beautiful portrait folio that holds up to two matted prints. The print is expertly mounted in a conservation quality mat that is finished with a v-groove around the opening. Customize it with your choice of beautiful cover fabrics and create a gift with a touch of class. (You can also do this in addition to the wall hangings if you’d like.)

Photo Boxes – (A Personal Fave!) Bamboo Boxes are an exciting addition to their popular Portfolio range. Made from eco-friendly and sustainable natural bamboo, these are the perfect presentation option for any portrait shoot – whether it be newborn, kids or family and are a great alternative for parents of your bride and groom.

Albums/Coffee Table Books – If you just can’t pick out a few photos to display in your home and you need more space, you can always get an album printed up and place it on your coffee table or bookshelf. We work with our lab to create an award-winning album that features one of the world’s finest art papers. Pair with several cover materials and options, elevated by the fabulous watercolor paper, creating an aesthetic quality that puts these albums in a class of their own. We can assure you are receiving the most durable art prints available anywhere, as every page is finished with a proprietary surface modification that protects this delicate paper and printing from moisture, fingerprints and scratching. Only the best will do!

We get it! We understand that you want the digitals to share on your social media pages with family and friends therefore we offer a custom complimentary digital experience with all purchased print collections.

AdaLilly Photography

Jan

RAINBOW BABY – NEWBORN STUDIO SESSION – THE SCOTT FAMILY

I’m emotional every time I get to photograph a client’s maternity or newborn session (or both). It takes me back to my pregnancies and newborn stages of life. Remembering kicks and smells that only exist now when I work with my expecting clients. That amazing little piece of heaven only 1-10 days old that is so incredibly pure, they’re flawless.

Beyond honoured to capture some memories from one of my favourite families recently, and they did not disappoint. From a Glamour Fine Art Maternity Session to a Simplistic & Pure Newborn Family Session the Scott family absolutely nailed every shot!

Thank you for trusting me in creating some of life’s most precious memories.

CONGRATULATIONS SCOTT FAMILY!

Gallery Slide Show | Swaddles & Bucket Props: Tiny Tot Prop Shop

Jan

EMPOWERING GLAM FINE ART MATERNITY SESSION

Lets talk maternity sessions. I am all about simplicity, but lighting, I LOVE Bright whites, so lighting is everything!!! I love that dramatic LA style. Give me that any day of the week and I’m in heaven. While this style is only suited for certain sessions I love the simplistic soft whites just the same. But, when the opportunity arose to capture some maternity shots of this gorgeous mama, who was pregnant with her second, and rainbow baby, I had the vision of just that, Glamorous, LA, whites!!! The goal: to showcase the beautiful developing body that houses those precious little ones. Lets face it, not all of us feel glamorous like the biggest lie told in hollywood when we’re pregnant, so to make a mama feel empowered and glamorous, that is always a win!

White Kimono by Lost in Layers

Jacalyn was first pampered by the lovely Miss Aprille Lu of Makeup by Miss Lu. Once finished HAMU Jacalyn then posed like a #queen helping me in producing the most beautiful portraits that she can look back on and see how beautiful her body is, and what it was able to do in growing one of God’s greatest gifts, life.

Blush Pink Maternity Scarf by Bugz & Moodles

Moral of the Story: Don’t be afraid to go all out, get your hair and makeup done, buy that maternity gown, and invest in that portrait session. You won’t regret it. That’s a promise.

AdaLilly Photography

Jan

WEDNESDAY WEIGH IN

As photographers we know and understand completely just how hard this decision is for your big day. Believe me it’s not easy for us either. While there are numerous photographers out there and some may think the market is over saturated, the key to finding the one to fit you and your vision is really very simple. But with all that wedding planning we understand just how hard it can be to try and make these decisions. You’re likely asking yourself where do we start?

ALP WEDDINGS – Wednesday Weigh In is here to help. We’re strictly keeping Wednesdays dedicated to weddings…and not just about wedding photography even though that is our passion!

HOW TO FIND YOUR PERFECT WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

STEP 1: WHATS YOUR STYLE

While research is important, how do you begin to research someone or something you’re not even sure you know what/who’s style you love?

We recommend choosing the style of photography you fall in love with first. Seek out styles that taylor to how you want to feel overtime as you look back on your day as you flip through your heirloom album specified to fit you and your vision. So while you’re heading on over to Pinterest to start looking, make sure to create your board and fill it full of images that make your heart flutter. Images that inspire you. They may be from a fashion blogger, a real wedding or staged shoot, it could be as simple as a flat lay image. Regardless of inspiration its a great place to start to seek out that perfect match for your photography needs. I’d be lying if I said you won’t go down the worm holes because you will but the fun about creating these boards is you’ll have a pristine idea of what you want your memories to reflect on your big day.

STEP 2: DO THE DIGGING

This is so important. While one couple may not have been completely happy with their wedding photographer, they may not have clicked well enough to have a more than reasonable outcome. Whereas another couple may love and boast about the exact same photographer. We’re all human after all and therefore we won’t always click well with each other. So its very important that you dig into the ones with the styles you favour. This is just a start. Start reading their about me pages and get a small sense of getting to know who you’ll be meeting for coffee in the next step. Personally we offer all inquiring clients our free guide to wedding photography. (We’ll attach the form below to request our guide) It’s a small token of our appreciation for just looking us up!

A photographers portfolio will tell you a lot about how they capture ones wedding day. We all have a different eye. I may see one angle and another may see a complete opposite. But, that doesn’t mean one is more right over the other, it may just mean difference in perspective. However a portfolio will not tell you how you will get along. This brings us to the next step, of which we will touch more on next week. But we did promise you a little freebie!!! Scroll to the bottom and fill out the request form for your ALP WEDDINGS – A COMPLETE GUIDE TO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY.

We don’t want to overwhelm you as we know the process of planning a wedding is somewhat stressful and oh so busy. So we’re going to leave this right here and reconvene on the topic next Wednesday where we will discuss the next steps of setting up interviews with photographers and seeing a full album in person of a wedding.

Jan

PASSION FOR PRINT

THE MOST PHOTOGRAPHED GENERATION OF ALL TIME COULD WIND UP BEING THE NEXT LOST GENERATION

Printing photographs is something I am extremely passionate about and with good reason.

We are taking photos more than ever, but almost all are digital files. Very few tangible prints are being produced today.

Digital files are not safe with technology always changing and failing. Yet we entrust our most precious memories to clouds, cd’s, & usb drives. Apple computers don’t even include usb or disk drives anymore. If you’ve ever lost the photos on your phone, you know the heartbreak.

An entire generation is growing up without a printed photographic record of their lives to pass on as our grandparents once did. Thus our stories will soon disappear. Our own history will disappear.

There is a great value and importance in printed photographs for our lives and for the generations after us. The history of where we came from, our legacy will continue on for generations all thanks to the power of print.

This is why we print.

THE PUZZLING QUESTIONS

For the last year or more I kept asking myself why is the desire on having only the digital copies of images? Is it because Social media has made it easy to share images with others around the world (at the risk of them being drowned in a pool of digital saturation)? Is it that they just couldn’t afford the prints? Maybe, but what really puzzled me is the ability to invest in a $1000 or more on a vacation and while it is an experience, in the end what is left to show of it… Maybe it’s that I appreciate having Fine Art hanging on the walls of my home. Captures so elegant that when I look at them they take my breath away. They remind of the moment my child made her quirky smile because she was genuinely annoyed at me for saying ‘okay just one more baby’ because I couldn’t handle the chance of missing a moment of her little personality that melts me. So overtime I look back at those moments hanging on my walls and they melt me over and over and over again. The best part, I don’t have to dive into a pool of digital saturation trying to find images on Facebook or IG to remember those moments. Whatever the answer is for others, I want the art that I create for my clients to be enjoyed for a lifetime.

PROFESSIONAL LAB VS. THE OTHER GUYS

The truth is, my art isn’t accurately reflected through ‘The Other Guys’. I was frustrated and inconsolable seeing my images as a complete inaccurate reflection of my work. It wasn’t me, that wasn’t what I had created. It was quite frankly an insult to my vision.

Below you’ll see some examples of comparisons and they’ll be quite shocking.

In use with permission from Amanda Jackson Photography

So…we made a decision to keep all the print rights with AdaLilly Photography. I know this may seem scary for some but its truly in everyones best interest and here’s why:

See example above and below
We’ve partnered with a professional lab right here in Calgary, and another lab in Eastern Canada therefore you’re supporting not only local business but Canadian businesses.
We’ve made sure their printing standards meet ours (nothing but the best for our clients)
Your prints will in fact imitate my art, being an accurate reflection of my final edits
By keeping the rights with the photographer, you’ll have more of a colour gaurantee when receiving your final prints. (see examples above and below)

These are the most commonly heard reasons why clients don’t print through a photographer and their professional lab:

Too Expensive
Retail chains are just as good as pro labs (clearly they’re not; see examples above and below)
I don’t want to wait two or more weeks for my products
We just spent a ton of money on a vacation…

What I can tell you is you won’t be disappointed when printing with our professional labs. Our packages exceed the retail chains cheap inclusive packages but hey we offer payment plans and the guarantee you’ll end up with beautiful timeless archival quality prints that are worthy of hanging in the Louvre!

Our Pro Lab Services include Wall Design

We offer wall design when you print with us. What could be better than that. We take the guess work right out!

In use with permission from Amanda Jackson Photography

So with all that being said, your session fee is just that. But I will elaborate on that in another post this week. For now if you have questions please send us a note.

AdaLilly Photography

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