Fall Mini-Sessions are here – October 15, 2011

It’s my favorite time of year – time for crisp autumn air, crunchy leaves underfoot, hoodies and jeans, and….fall mini-sessions!  I had so much fun at my first ever set of Fall Mini-Sessions last year that there was no question that they had to happen again this fall!  Fall Mini’s are a great way to capture family and individual portraits for holiday cards, or just to update that picture over the mantel!  So here’s the scoop….

October 15, 2011

Location TBA – local to the Yorkville, IL area

20 minute session, yielding 10-15 images for review in an online gallery

Session Fee:  $50.00

This year, I am also offering an exclusive digital collection with extra savings built in:

Digital Collection

CD of all session images

One set of 5×7 prints of all session images

$200

As always, all images are available ala carte and no minimum order is required.

Only 14 sessions are available on this day, and they will fill quickly, so contact me now to reserve your spot!

{bernice@freespirit-photography.com}

There aren’t many things that are more perfect than a newborn baby.  Except for two newborn babies!  I had the honor of photographing this long time client as they added not one, but two bundles of joy to their family.  They were seven weeks old at the time of the session, which is a bit older than I usually prefer for newborns, (the ideal time to schedule a newborn session is during their first two weeks of life, when they are the most sleepy and flexible) but we made it work.  Petite Miss A fought off sleep the entire time I was there, despite the heat being cranked up and a sound machine right by her side!  Big brother Ben, on the other hand, was out like a light with a full tummy, nestled in a cozy, warm beanbag.  So amazing to see those different personalities emerge already!  Awake or asleep, they were both perfectly adorable and wonderful to cuddle!

Waaaaay back in November, I shot this session with one of my favorite client families EVER.  I do believe that they were my very first clients when I was building my portfolio, and their now four year old daughter was just a brand new person.  They were the first clients I shot in an “urban” setting, when I discovered a love of doing sessions amidst brick, concrete, and metal instead of the trees, flowers, and grass I was so used to.  They are the clients who have always trusted me to “do my thing” and put total trust in my vision and passion for capturing their family just as they are.  And what they are is so naturally and abundantly gulping up life together, hand in hand.  I love being able to capture their love for each other through the lens of my camera – what an amazing privilege!  They have been waiting a LOOOOONG time for this sneak peek, so enough words – just moments…..

At the beginning of this mini-session, Mom told me that she had been trying for two years to get the perfect photo for their Christmas cards.  With three kids under the age of 8, this can be a bit of a challenge. I can totally relate –  this will be the first Christmas in a couple years that we will be sending out a card with a decent photo, and that’s because I finally broke down this summer and hired someone (i.e. – not me) to take our family photographs.  I have a feeling that Mom will be pretty happy with the images we captured of her three – definite card contenders for sure!  Since I want to keep it a surprise for her (and anyone else who might be receiving their Christmas card!), I’ll stick with sharing some of sassy two year old Miss Q.  I happen to have a little experience with sassy two year old little girls, so Miss Q and I got along just fine!

All of my clients did a really great job dressing for their mini-sessions this year, and this family was no exception!  Let’s be honest – all the credit needs to go to Mom, since I’m fairly certain she picked out everyone’s outfits!  I love how the different shades of turquoise and gray coordinate so well with the greens and browns of the autumn backdrop.  They look sharp, but the clothes don’t take away from their great smiles – a perfect Christmas card photo!

I am so fortunate to have such great clients!  This family was no exception – just fun all around, and the kids, who have gone to school with mine for the last couple years, are so sweet and polite.  I’ve got the best job in the world – no doubt about it!

This family was literally one of my very first clients when I was building my portfolio and starting up my business back in 2007.  I wish I could dig up those very first photos I took of their family, but I would be a bit embarrassed to share them here because I was still figuring out the ropes of this whole photography thing.  I’d like to think that I’ve improved considerably over the last three years!  Those kids are now full-fledged teenagers, and so cooperative and easy to work with!  They get that from their mom, who has a heart of gold and is beautiful, inside and out – how did I not get any pictures of her this time around???

I am a huge fan of black and white photographs.  I just love the classic, timeless simplicity of a black and white photograph.  Often when I am editing a client’s proof gallery, a certain image will just jump out at me as a black and white.  It might be a pensive expression on a child’s face, a lingering hug between a father and son, or just the overall feel of a moment in time.   This particular image just called out “black and white” to me – the traditional outfits that Mom picked out for her three boys coupled with the fun of frolicking in autumn leaves make this a photograph that, I feel, could have been taken in a different era.  Of course, I do love that warm, golden autumn light too, so I’ll post both versions here and let you choose your favorite!

As I seem to be running out of words, as well as energy, I’ll let this image speak for itself.  It’s taking every ounce of restraint in my body not to show another image from their gallery that took my breath away the moment it appeared on my computer screen.  It’s one of those shots that only happens in a blink of an eye….and then it’s gone, especially when you’re dealing with kids who aren’t all that interested in staying in one spot for very long.  If it were my family, it would be the Christmas card picture, which is why I’m not going to show it.  This one is a close second.

I love when I’m hanging out with a family during a session and I can just tell that they like being around each other.  This was no surprise with this family since we have attended the same church for a few years now, but it was still refreshing to watch them laugh together and enjoy each other’s company.  I also loved that Mom and Dad wanted not only photos of the entire family and their handsome boys, but of the two of them together.  At one point, Dad wanted to get closer to the river by climbing down some precarious looking rocks.  Mom was a little hesitant, but he just had to say two words that calmed her fears, two words that I think are probably this family’s motto:  JUST LIVE.