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!

Decorate with Photos - 2

As a follow up to my first post on decorating with photographs, I thought I would provide you with some useful resources frame resources for creating your own gallery display.

First off the all in one package: The Picture Wall Company Inc. They have frames, templates and all the supplies you need to hang an impressive photo gallery with no fuss, no muss. The impressive display wall below was created by combining four of their framing kits. This headache free experience does not come cheap, but the results may be worth it to some.


Below, is the mix and match solution from Michael's, your local craft store. I haven't tried this system, but it doesn't look as easy as the Picture Wall. However, what it does seem to offer is a little more customization. You pick a template, then match the frames you want to the template. My only concern with this, is the frame selection. If the only frames are these heavy black frames, it is a little limiting.


Aaron Brothers offers a wide selection of frames and all kinds of mats. They are a great resource, but somehow they haven't figured out that providing clients with hanging templates would be helpful to many... and might actually help them sell more off-the-shelf frames.


Pottery Barn offers a nice range of frames, though they do not offer a great selection of sizes, or mats since this is not their core business. The frames range from traditional to streamlined.


Last, but not least, do not underestimate Ikea, the Swedish discount furniture store. While their frame designs are basic, their pricing is very competitive and with a little creativity, you can use their frames to great effect. Check out this Riba frame display courtesy of decorpad.


So with a drill and level in hand, I hope this inspires you to set up your own photo gallery.

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.

[PARENTING]: Reading

Why is it that all of my favorite magazines have folded? First domino, now cookie...

The publisher's sent me a note informing me that the remainder of my subscription would be fulfilled by Glamour. Who in the world thinks that a person who reads domino and cookie would have any interest in Glamour. Have they not studied their demographics?

Anyway, I digress from my real intention with this post. The last issue of cookie featured a kid's library designed by Kelly Wearstler for her two boys. The minute I saw it, I knew I wanted my son to have one. Not only had his pile of books become unruly, but I wanted to further encourage his already strong love of reading.

photo courtesy Cookie Magazine

So I turned a junk cupboard in my son's room into his new little paradise. The project took my husband and I one and a half days to complete over the Holiday break (including demo, painting and installation).

BEFORE:
AFTER:

The first words out of my son's mouth when he saw his new room, were "WOW, WOW!"


Would love to know what you think, so please leave a comment.

P.s. now I just have to figure out what to do with all the junk that I used to store in the cupboard... but that's another story.

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!