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.

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.

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!

NEWBORN: Butterfly Kisses

It's wonderful to welcome in the New Year with a new life in the form of a baby. Fortunately I can do this vicariously by photographing precious newborn babies.

This gorgeous baby girl was born just a few weeks ago down in Orange County, but she already seemed to have settled into a comfortable routine with her adoring parents and as a result was in a very good mood for the photo shoot.


This is a credit to her parents, who though new parents, are handling the chaos of their new arrival with the attitude of experienced pros.


I think this last one would be great for a baby announcement card as she's all smiles.

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!

Decorate with Photos

Besides my love of photography, I have a passion love for interior design so I thought I would combine the two in this post to provide design inspiration on how to decorate with photographs.

After taking the time to take professional photographs, it's really a pity not to maximize the impact of the images, so here are a few ideas that can easily be replicated.

From private spaces...


to public spaces...

photos courtesy of decorpad, pottery barn and crate & barrel

...thoughtful arrangements in an eclectic mix, a themed grouping, or a series can work wonders in a room. Do take note though, that in most of these images, the photographs are not just framed, they have a mat and frame, giving each image some space to breathe.

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.