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The bond between a mother and a child is unlike any other, one that can be beautifully captured with a camera. But if you’re anything like me, you’re always the one behind the camera in family photos and hardly ever in them. Even when we have our family photos professionally taken, I’m always too busy worrying about everyone else and don’t get to relax and enjoy the photo session. The photos also tend to focus more on the kids and I hardly ever get to capture moments of us being ourselves.

I’ve recently been reminded that life is truly precious and filled with moments we sometimes take for granted.  I want to be in more photos with my children and this is why I have come to realize how important my Mommy and Me photo sessions are. Now is the perfect time to capture memories with your children, regardless of where you or your kids are in life.

We want to make this photo session work for you, so whether you want a few photos with your children, or you simply want some memorable pictures of you and your own mother; we are here to guide you. This is your chance to get creative and really make a photo session about you and your kids and the special bond that you share.

Bring along anything that will make you all feel comfortable and will help you spend some time together as we do our job. For example, you might want to bring a blanket and some of your daughter’s favorite books so that we can capture your snuggles and story time. Maybe you want to stop and grab some ice-treats with your son or bring along a game that you both enjoy playing. This is all about creating a space where you can enjoy being together so that we can perfectly capture these moments for you.

If you are looking for an alternative to the traditional family portraits, the Mommy and Me portraits are ideal. While a family portrait can be a wonderful way to capture those special moments of you and your children through the years, it does require some extra effort to get everyone together and in the same place. A Mommy and Me photo session is easier to style and coordinate.

I love that Mommy and Me portrait photography is intimate and sweet with very little fuss. These sessions don’t take very long and will free up your schedule to spend more quality time together. These sessions provide a space where those natural interactions and emotions can play out, resulting in a mini time capsule of your current relationship.  You might even want to make this an annual tradition so that you can beautifully document the relationship with your children.

First day of school is right around the corner here in Maine, here are some cute ideas for parents!

The first day of school is such a milestone for any parent and a day that should be captured, not only for yourself and the grandparents but for your kids too.

Below are some really cute, out-of-the-box ideas that you can use to make your child’s first day of school photos memorable and unique.

1. Get a shot of the outfit. You’ve spent the time choosing the perfect outfit for this day so why not hang it up somewhere and get a shot of it before they get dressed? Lay the outfit out on your child’s bed and take a shot from above or place it on a cute hanger and hang it against the door.
2. Use a blackboard. Incorporate a cute blackboard with a frame into the photos. Fill the blackboard with facts such as the date, their age or even what they want to be when they grow up. Easels also work really well for this and will give you more space to be creative. Get your child to draw themselves on their first day of school and include this in your photo.
3. Show their progress. While taking a picture on the first day of school is a must, make a point of taking a photo on the last day of the school year too. You’ll be amazed at how much your child has changed when you compare the two photos. Another cute idea is to get your kid to pose with their first day of school photo from the previous year to show their progress.

By having fun and making this moment a big deal for your children, you will instill confidence in them and prepare them for the day and year ahead.

Even though we store all of our photos digitally, nothing quite beats displaying beautiful photos of your family and friends around your home. A gallery wall can be a great focal point in your home but in order to get the perfect end result, your photo wall will need some planning.

Choosing Your Wall

The wall that you see when you first walk into a room is often the perfect spot for a photo wall if you’re looking to make it the main focus of the room. If you would prefer a more subtle option then look for an area that doesn’t have any décor or a space where regular artwork might not work, such as the area next to a stairway or the narrow part of a wall that divides two rooms.

Choosing a Layout

There are countless photo wall layouts that you can use to build your gallery. Pinterest offer tons of inspiration. The best thing to do once you have your heart set on a specific layout is to cut out the shapes of your frames and use masking tape to create a mock layout on your wall. You might find that you need to switch a few of the frames around or relook at the design completely.

Choosing Your Frames & Photos

Most designers would suggest that neutral colors work the best when designing your photo gallery but sometimes adding a pop of color in-between the frames also looks amazing. You might prefer to choose frames in one color then opt for different sizes and styles to change things up a bit. Placing an antique frame in-between your more modern frames gives the wall a unique touch. If you decide to use different colors and styles of frames then try printing your photos in black and white. Remember, your photos should always be the focal point.

A photo gallery in your home is a great alternative to traditional décor and wall art so take the time to make it special.

We can never have enough photos of our children but let’s face it; school photos aren’t always our first choice when it comes to what to hang up around the house.
If you’re growing a little tired of the usual school photo formula year after year, why not consider taking some professional headshots at a studio instead? Below are just some of the differences between school photos and studio photos.
The Backdrop
School Photos: Your child’s school photos are usually shot in front of a generic, sometimes tacky, background. These backgrounds tend to be distracting and move the focus off your child completely.
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Studio Photos: Shooting professional headshots in a studio means you have the option of choosing a more classic backdrop, something that keeps the focus on your child.
Posing and Smiling
School Photos: When it’s time to take school photos, kids are called up one at a time, placed in a standard pose and told to smile in front of a complete stranger before being rushed out the door again.
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Studio Photos: A professional photographer takes the time to make your child feel more comfortable in front of the camera, which results in a natural expression and smile. They also try a variety of poses so that you walk away with more memorable shots of your kids.
The End Result
School Photos: When you receive your child’s school photos you usually get one or two standard photos in various sizes. There is nothing unique or special about the shots and they usually end up in a drawer in the house.
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Studio Photos: A professional photographer not only takes a variety of photos of your child but they spend time editing them too, resulting in photos you can proudly display in your house, photos you know aren’t present in the homes of every other child at school.
It’s definitely worth taking the time to book a professional photographer to take a few headshots of your child if you’re looking for something a little more special to remember your child’s school years by.