NEW HOME FOR THE THOMPSON and SPRING BLOG

For those of you who follow the THOMPSON and SPRING blog on Blogger my blog has a new home as of April 1, 2010. Come see what's new by clicking over to:

www.THOMPSONandSPRING.com

You can also check out my new portfolio site at:

www.THOMPSONandSPRINGphoto.com

[MATERNITY]: Esther + Rob = Glowing

What is it about mothers-to-be that just makes them glow from the inside? OK, granted this couple is a pretty darn handsome couple to begin with, but sprinkle on them the joy of expectant parenthood and there's pure magic.


They nearly didn't do a maternity shoot, but I'm so glad they didn't just settle on casual pics. As these images demonstrate, this is a magical time in a couple's life, when they are awaiting the arrival of a little one and it's still just the two of them. It's still special when a couple does a maternity shoot of a second or third child, but with it also comes experience. The anticipated arrival of a first child is filled with greater wonder... and admittedly less chaos. :) Although in this case, the couple has a lovely dog that was very eager to participate.


For this post I've chosen images that are intimate. The minute I went to their home I knew I wanted to take moody shots in front of their large picture window. They are a fun couple so I also took some more playful shots, but for this post I want to just showcase the pure magic. Hope you enjoy them.

[VIDEO]: Hochleutner Family - A Beautiful Day

I had such a fun time with this wonderful family, I wanted to share a video of their slideshow.

[PERSONAL]: Viva Las Vegas

photo courtesy Las Vegas Convention Center

Anyone who knows me knows that Las Vegas is not my kind of town, either aesthetically or culturally. Granted I have never given myself much of a chance to get to know it and my recent trip there really didn't give me chance to see anything besides the MGM Grand. I was literally in the hotel for five days straight never having a chance to breathe fresh air, or feel the warmth of the sun on my skin.

No, I wasn't on a gambling roll, in fact this gal doesn't gamble. I never went near a roulette table, or even a 25 cent slot machine. I was in town for the annual WPPI Conference and Trade Show, the biggest show of its kind in the nation for wedding and portrait photographers.

As a Los Angeles maternity and child photographer I mostly work on my own, as do most other photographers in the industry. This can be quite isolating, so the conference is a great way to bring this fragmented industry together. One of the funny things is that on my first day there, I met another Los Angeles photographer and she was not just from any part of Los Angeles, turns out she's my neighbor living on the next street and we wouldn't have met had it not been for the conference.

Besides my neighbor I met some great photographers from all around the country, from New York, Kansas City, Chicago, Seattle and everywhere in between. So, while it can be isolating, it's nice to belong to a community, albeit virtual. The other great thing was seeing the new products.

So, be on the look out for new products I will be introducing and new programs I will be launching. But first thing on my list of to-dos is another web redesign targeted for April 2010 and a web-redesign targeted for May 2010... I thought I'd put it out there so that I am accountable to get it done.

FAMILY PORTRAIT: A Room of Their Own

We've had some un-California like weather recently, but rather than reschedule this family portrait session, we took the shoot indoors into their home, which turned out to be the best thing. Not only did the rooms give the shoot a more intimate and personal feel, everyone, especially their eldest daughter, could really relax and be themselves.


This family had super fun energy, and a warm and wonderful home in Hancock Park that reflected an artistic eye. And, while I love photos of happy smiling kids and parents, I am personally drawn to the more quiet, introspective images that seem to provide us with a glimpse into more private moments that aren't usually captured on camera.

What to Wear: Spring

Here in sunny Los Angeles Spring is definitely in the air. The flowers are starting to bloom and the days are getting longer. While I welcome the new season with open arms I have been under the weather this last week thanks to the temperature going from cool to warm and back again, but I digress.

Spring is the time for Spring cleaning, but it is also time to bring out our warmer weather clothes. In my case I keep them boxed up under the bed, but for my son, what fit him last Spring wouldn't fit him this year because like all children he is growing like a weed. So I've been looking at kid's clothes and thought I would come up with some seasonally appropriate ideas for what to wear for a Spring photo shoots in Los Angeles, or anywhere else for that matter.

Clients often ask me for ideas, so here are a few. While, I don't like to use a lot of pattern, there are ways to make it work, and of course texture and color go a long way to adding interest and depth.

Easter Party


Easy Breezy

Fresh n' Sunny

The key to the various looks is keeping the color palette (or as they like to say on Project Runway the "color story") similar and complimentary, so siblings don't have to dress identically, but their clothes relate back to each other. Same rules apply for grown ups. So whether you having professional photographs taken, or are taking pictures yourself, having clothes work together creates a more cohesive image.

All clothes featured are from the Gap, Old Navy, Gymboree, Target and the Children's Place, available nationwide or online.

MATERNITY: California Sunset

I love shooting at the beach with the setting sun, but lately this hasn't been as easy to accomplish because of the rains we have been having. We had to reschedule twice but finally the Gods smiled on us and we were able to catch some rays for this gorgeous maternity shoot.

This maternity shoot was a baby shower gift certificate, which also includes a newborn shoot and announcement cards. It's a great gift to give and to receive because you are giving the gift of memories. In the case of this lovely couple, they only intend on having one child so capturing the magic of expectant motherhood was even more important.

We took it easy, but still managed capture their spirit and sense of fun, and because we did this beach shoot on a weekday, it felt like the beach was all ours.

Look at them glow!

NEWBORN: A New Addition

Technically this family has more than an addition under construction, they have a whole house under construction in a great spot in Venice, CA which they designed as they are both architects. But in this case, when I say addition, I am referring to the adorable little girl they just welcomed into the world.


This shoot was super fun, not only because I had had the pleasure of previously photographing this lovely family for their maternity and holiday shoot and so we already knew each other...but also because they wanted to shoot on the construction site of their new home. It's not everyday you get to shoot using beaten up ladders and wheel barrows as your props for a newborn shoot! The results are great and really managed to capture the wonderful changes going on in this family's life.

I hope you enjoy these. I certainly enjoyed taking them!

NEWBORN: Quiet Alert

Ever wonder what it might be like to have Harry Potter's invisibility blanket? I have.

At a recent newborn shoot in Pacific Palisades I had the opportunity to be a fly on the wall. Everyone was so comfortable that I just melted away into the background giving me the wonderful opportunity to capture intimate moments in this family's new found joy. I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity to be a part of that moment, with this lovely family.


And, while I think babies are often at their most angelic whilst asleep, this little boy wonder was in that wonderful quiet alert state for much of the shoot. I hope you enjoy these.



I love this last image because father and son are spitting images of each other, down to the expression and furrowed brow!

BIRTHDAY: Celebrating Number One

For my first shoot of the year, I had the pleasure of photographing a client's daughter's first birthday at their home in Burbank. When you see the gorgeous little girl you will surely remember her from the shoot at the Griffith Observatory, with the great jewel tone colors.

You may not be aware that THOMPSON and SPRING photography offers a "Birthday Package" for your kid's birthday. It includes two hours of coverage and you get CD of 40-60 high resolution images, however, in the case of the Birthday Package the photos are un-retouched.

For this birthday I wanted to try a makeshift photo booth, with a draped cloth. Her mom was happy to humor me. I'm glad, as there are some really great pictures that came out of it.


I also had fun turning them into retro images, by adding a 70's inspired fade and turning them in to B&W. You may remember my little obsession with all things Polaroid before the Holidays... BTW- I did get the Fuji Instax for Christmas and it turns out my son gets just as much joy out of the instant images as I did when I was a kid.

Thank you for allowing me to share in this great milestone and for making me feel like one of the family.

NEWBORN - New Year Special

I love the arrival of the new year it is full of possibility. It is strange how this ritual of changing years makes you feel like everything can be better/different, when really it's just another day with a new calendar... But for those families welcoming a new baby into their lives, the new year has even greater meaning.

So, for all those babies born over the holidays, THOMPSON and SPRING photography has a great special for you. For a limited time we will be offering 3 complimentary custom wallet Accordion Brag Books with every classic newborn photo session booked. These Accordion Books slip easily into mom's purse or dad's jacket, and are also great for grandparents. Valued at $60 each, this is a total savings of $180. Offer expires February 1, 2010.


Mention "New Year Baby" and even if your baby isn’t due for a few weeks, book now and take advantage of this special offer. Or, if you have a friend who just gave birth, pass this on.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

What to Buy: Polaroid

While I fully embrace the digital age and my DSLRs, I have been feeling rather nostalgic for the old Polaroid. I've had images running through my head of pictures taken with our old Polaroid and remembering my childhood anticipation and awe as I awaited for the image to magically appear.

Unfortunately Polaroid is no longer, R.I.P. However, Fuji has risen to the challenge with the Fuji Instax Camera, with styling friendly to the iPod generation, the kids these days will think this is something their generation invented.


I went on a search for all things Polaroid. Check out these cool finds that also make great gifts for the holidays.

Retro Polaroid Paperweight:


2010 Polaroid Calendar:


Polaroid Photo Frames:


I wish you Happy Shopping now that I've shared my current obsession!

NEWBORN: Welcome Little Man

Most babies arrive in the world with little desire to do more than sleep, but at a recent photo newborn shoot in Westwood, this days old little boy just wanted to engage with the world. He was so alert, both a good thing and a bad thing when it comes to photos, since the lack of limb control while alert can be a little challenging.


Perhaps he was so alert because he stayed in mama's belly a week longer than most, and so just couldn't wait to see what this big world was all about.

But at the end of the day it's the parents' tenderness and love of these early days that always makes me melt. The focus at a newborn shoot is always the baby, but it's the parents' emotion that is magical when captured.

Family Portrait: Daddy's Girls

Nine time out of ten moms are the ones organizing the family photo shoot, setting up the date, asking what to wear, etc. It's always a pleasant surprise when a dad takes the lead. That was the case on a recent family photo shoot in Beverly Hills where a doting dad decided it he wanted to capture some precious moments of his beautiful wife and gorgeous little girls.


They recently moved here from the Windy City, so enjoying a glorious sunny, warm Southern California fall day must have been a nice change for them. I've lived in colder climates from the Northeast, to Northern Europe but once you get used to going to the beach in December you can never really go back. I anticipate these girls are going to love being California girls.