Newlyweds -- Mariah & Maxx

 

Meeting up with Mariah and Maxx four months after their wedding!

Armored Combat -- Fighter -- Thaddaeus

 

Promo portraits for Thaddaeus

Armored Combat -- Fighter -- Steven

 

Promo portraits for Steven

Armored Combat -- Fighter -- Tyrell

 

Promo portraits for Tyrell 

Wedding Day 03 -- Mariah & Maxx

 

Capturing a day of memories for Mariah & Maxx

Brother and Sister Goofing Off in the Middle of Their Session

 

You can't expect kids to be serious models the whole time.

Brother and Sister in the Studio

 

Moving the photo session from the park into my studio to continue the Fall themed session.

Studio Portraits with Jay

Jay and I have worked together twice so far and we have plans for many more sessions. She has helped me explore new directions in my fine art projects. If you are interested in seeing more of Jay's sessions with me, you can find them on my other photography page, Eden's Edge Studio. Be warned that content on that page is for mature audiences and some images are Not Safe For Work. Below you will find a beautiful series of portraits from our first session together.

Garrett's Senior Portraits

Senior portraits are a lot of fun to shoot. I am invited to help capture a milestone in someone's life and preserve that moment for all time. I love having friends ask me to be involved in these events :)

Kyndall & Dustin Wedding Day Part III

After the group photos, I took Kyndall & Dustin aside to get some closeup and intimate photos of just them. These make amazing memories especially to scrapbook or hang on the wall.

Kyndall & Dustin Wedding Day Part II

After the ceremony, we got formal shots all around the reception hall

Introducing Lacey

Lacey is a part-time model who graciously agreed to help me build my portfolio and hers while playing around in my studio. We shot for over two hours, and had tons of fun playing around with lighting, props, wardrobe, and lots of fun poses. I have so many favorites from our session, it will take time to share more of them.

Milestones of Maternity

My goal is to document the Milestones of Maternity.

My years of experience capturing the different stages of pregnancy, I have come to describe a shortened maternity series as the Milestones of Maternity. The milestones are essentially four different points along your path to motherhood. Here, we establish a series of poses that will be duplicated throughout your pregnancy to document the changes you experience. For those who want to document their pregnancy progression but cannot afford to dedicate the time or money to a monthly series, this is a wonderful option.

I have had the good fortune to help several women over the years preserve the memories of their pregnancy through photographs. When you decide that you want to document your pregnancy with more than just mirror selfies, there are several options for how to proceed. How often do you want to take your photos and how many different poses and outfits do you want to use for those photos?

I maintain a portrait studio in the living room of my home. I have a selection of props and wardrobe that can be utilized for each session. If you would be more comfortable in your own home, my studio kit is fully portable and can be set up within a few minutes. A living room, dining room, or bedroom can be converted into a studio without the need to fully clear the room. My kit is battery operated, so there are no cords to trip over. I also bring several fabric backdrops and my own backdrop support stands, so there is no need to nail anything into your walls. I have also assembled a select number of props specifically for adding to maternity sessions.

I Offer Quality In My Photography

"TULIP" © Adam Telford

I don't take on many photography jobs anymore. I have set my priority as quality over quantity. For me its all about the quality of the content rather than having a  higher volume of photo sessions under my belt. I like to spend time thinking through and planning a photo shoot, rather than just put up a light and snap a few portraits. I will scout a location days or weeks in advance, check the weather report if we will be shooting outside, and even consult a sun-calculator to see the direction the sun will be shining during a certain time of day. I put a lot of effort into every photo shoot before I even take my camera out of it's case.

When is the best time to take maternity photos?

::: If you're looking for the quick answer its 30-32 weeks :::

In my professional experience photographing pregnancies, the best time to plan your maternity photo session is when you are 30-32 weeks, which is  approximately 7 ½ months into your pregnancy. At this time, the baby's gender is typically known and can be utilized in choosing colors and props for your session. The size of your tummy increases the most in the third trimester, and for most women at 32 weeks, it is symmetrical and round. If you wait until your belly is larger, the baby tends to sit very low or rests on one side creating an asymmetrical appearance. You also don't want to wait too long to schedule your session in case of early delivery. By taking your photos earlier in you pregnancy your energy will last you through a longer photo shoot. My maternity sessions typically last between one and two hours with multiple wardrobe changes and lighting adjustments. 

Revisiting Maternity Favorites with Chenisse

I am looking forward to new photo sessions and opportunities to provide beautiful photos to new clients. One of my personal favorite subjects to photograph is maternity. Whether it is fine-art or a photo-journalistic style, capturing the moments in a woman's life as she is transforms into a mother is a pleasure and an honor to be made a part. I like to capture the emotional interaction between a woman and her unborn baby.

As an artist, I am a trained observer who gently directs classic poses which help her be more natural without feeling self-conscious or awkward. My goal is to create images that go beyond snapshots and would not feel out of place in a coffee-table book. For anyone who is seeking a photographer to document her pregnancy, please contact me through the link at the bottom of this post.

In the mean time, I am revisiting my work from a progression series of maternity photos with re-edits and new favorites. Every now and then I go back through sessions from years ago and I am drawn to different images than I had initially culled into my favorites. I continue to learn about and experiment with new editing techniques. In my revisits I find images that fit well into these new, varied techniques and am able to apply them. This brings to light new and expanded perspectives within my portfolio.

Below are many newly edited selections I have added to my portfolio. Enjoy!

Bizzell Family Portraits

Family portraits can be difficult to get for anyone, but when you have a special needs adult child, it takes more preparation and careful timing. It has been years since this family have had a portrait including each family member. I was more than happy to come to them and photograph their family.

For this session I was able to set up in the basement. I prepared the backdrop and lights and brought in the dad and other children to be ready before the mom brought in the adult daughter. I stood at the far end of the room away from the family, and used my zoom lens to get up close. I started snapping away with my camera and it was about ten seconds before the daughter realized what was happening and started to shy away. She may only be in a few photos with her family, but that is an accomplishment we could only have hoped for going in to this session. Once the family photos were done, we continued to take individual portraits and combinations of the children and parents. I have added a few composites in the mix as well.

My favorites are included below: 

Family Photos At The Park

For baby's first photo session, we arranged to set up at a local park using the natural surroundings and weathered bridge as our backdrop. I brought two battery-operated flashes to use as we walked around the park to take advantage of the beautiful scenery. We started with some seated family shots, and moved on to some poses of just the mom and dad, then we laid a blanket over a park bench and focused on taking baby portraits. I was able to balance the natural light with my flashes to create depth without washing out the background, or having the portraits turn to silhouette.

As with all of my portrait sessions, I have trouble choosing favorites to share because there are so many fantastic images to choose from. I am never satisfied with just a few snapshots during a photo session, during this session I shot over 200 images. The first part of every session is used to get the jitters out and help everyone relax and let their natural expressions come out. Although I pick favorites, and edit those images; I provide every image from my photo sessions to my clients. I would rather you have them all to cherish than let those images sit unused on my computer. My clients are free to share the beautiful shots with friends and family, laugh over the funny ones, and scrapbook the rest. I allow them the freedom to choose how to preserve their memories.

Portable Studio - Living Room Setup

This is the second of a two-part photo shoot. The first was shot outdoors at a local park. Then we went inside to their living room to set up a studio using portable lights and backdrop. Moving some of the living room furniture into the dining room gave us just enough room to get everything set up.

Using a client's own living space is great, especially for smaller children. They are already comfortable in their own home, they just need to get comfortable with me being in their space. It also makes wardrobe changes simpler. There is no forgetting anything for your photo shoot. It's all in the next room.

Here is a selection of my favorite images from this shoot:

Outdoor Portraits

This is the first of a two part photo session with this lovely family. The second half of their photo session took place in their living room. I brought my studio to them by setting up a background and lights for them, in their own home.

Outdoor portraits can be very tricky to capture natural expressions and bright faces. I used a small light and a modifier to keep the light very natural looking. By using an extra light, I was able to turn them away from the sun which allowed them to keep their eyes open. We moved around the park and shot individual and group sets using sand, grass, and a tree as simple backgrounds.

Below are a few of my favorite images from the park: