The Benefits of In Home Newborn Photography | Seattle Newborn Photographer

Why in home newborn photography?

It’s no secret that I love in home sessions! Staying in home for your newborn (or family!) session is intimate, authentic and safe. I love my outdoor sessions, but there’s always something a little extra special about a family allowing me into their space to capture their life.

In home photography means you don’t have to pack anything or go anywhere.

This is especially beneficial when you’ve just brought home a new baby because odds are, you’re exhausted and the idea of packing up the van to go get photos done sounds like a nightmare… am I right?

In home newborn and family sessions captures your life.

In home sessions are great for capturing more than just your family, love and connection. They also document your home! It’s where you and your family live and grow together and it’s an important piece to document, especially when bringing home a new little family member.

Most importantly, in home newborn sessions are safe.

Newborns have an incredibly sensitive immune system and exposing them to germs outside the home can be risky. And if you’re introducing your new baby to siblings, it’s easier to control those interactions in the comfort of your own home.

Interested in booking an in home session? Click the button below!

Schooled Student Spotlight: Cami Turpin | Elena S Blair Photography Education

Schooled Student Spotlight: Cami Turpin

For today’s student spotlight, we are introducing you to Schooled student Cami Turpin, of Blue Hill Images. Cami has been a Schooled student for about a year now, and in that time she has shot three schools, made an average of $4,000 per school AND has doubled her annual income. You go girl!!

Why fine art school photography?

Cami first signed up for Schooled because of her son. “My son goes to a charter school for kids on the autism spectrum, and my MAIN goal was to be able to do portraits for his school that truly show their personalities, and don't force them into uncomfortable situations.” She continues, “I had been offering school portraits to preschools for a while, and I was interested in offering them to larger schools, especially for schools with special needs kids… Schooled looked like a great resource for rounding out my shooting experience with the business side of things for larger schools.”

What was the most useful aspect of Schooled?

“The actual business side--the process of how to get from start to finish with a big school--was very helpful. I was able to get an excellent basic structure and understanding of the timeline, and then fine tune the process to my own workflow and schools.” She also talked highly of the students-only Facebook support group for Schooled. “The Facebook group is amazing, because I'm able to have others working in the trenches help me troubleshoot when new things come up (because they always do).”

Check out Cami’s school work below and you can find more of her work on her Instagram!

Are you interested in doubling your income and adding fine art school photography to your offerings? Grab a seat to my free intro webinar!

Schooled Student Spotlight: Katie Kueck | Elena S Blair Photography Education

Schooled Student Spotlight: Katie Kueck

This month we decided to do a series of student features, highlighting the students of my fine art portrait course, Schooled. This is the first Schooled Student Spotlight, and we’re introducing you to Katie Kueck!

Katie has been a Schooled student for only seven months, but in that time, she has photographed five schools and pulls in over $1500 per school!

In addition to this increase in her annual income, Katie also says that a “big reason” she was attracted to the model of Schooled was to get more family photography clients, and sure enough, she has!

We asked Katie why she originally signed up for Schooled, and she said:

“It was time to go back to work, with my third baby nearing one year, and I didn't want to go back to my job as a full time physician working crazy hours. I wanted to try photography, a long time love of mine, so that I could be more flexible and spend more time with my kids and also to flex my creative muscles!”

Overall, Katie says that her favorite part of Schooled is “learning about using natural light to create beautiful portraits of children.” Check out her beautiful portraits below!

You can find more of Katie’s work on her website, and you can find her on Facebook or Instagram!

Interested in learning more about Schooled?

Elena S Blair Photography Education | April Cover Contest Top 10

Each month we hold a cover contest in my amazing education community, Elena S Blair Photography Education over on Facebook.

Per usual, I’m blown away by my student’s work.

Congrats to Lyndsay Mills McNiff for being this month’s winner!! Well deserved for this super sweet shot (below) ❤️

Without further ado, here are the top 10 cover contest submissions!

Sarah Boles | https://www.facebook.com/fivesparrowsphotography/

Kasia Markocka | https://www.facebook.com/KasiaMarkockaphotography/

Amanda Hammons Thomason | https://www.facebook.com/AmandaHammonsPhotography/

Paula Cunningham

Jessica Rockowitz Fiedler | https://www.facebook.com/JessicaRockowitzPhotography/

Agnieszka Marcol | https://www.facebook.com/agamarcolphotography/

Mel Bolzon | https://www.facebook.com/melaniebolzonphotography/

Krissy Vance | https://www.facebook.com/KMPhotoskc/

Melissa Soto | https://www.facebook.com/MelissaSotoPhotography/

Lynn Shapiro | https://www.facebook.com/lynnshapirophotography/

Want to contribute to next month’s cover contest?

When is the best time of year for outdoor Family Portraits? | Seattle Family Portrait Photographer

I often get asked “when is the best time of year for family photos? And I get why. You are investing your money, and more importantly, your VALUABLE TIME for family photos. You want to make sure you schedule your session for the best time of year.

Honestly, I believe you can have family photos taken any time of year. I only reschedule a session if it is actually raining. Clouds or sunshine are fine with me.

However, here are a few things to consider.

1. What would you like to be wearing in your photos? If you take your photos in the spring or summer you will likely be dressed in clothing that is a bit more, well, summery. Typically brighter colors and more casual. If you have your photos taken in the fall or winter you may be wearing more layers, have more rich and bold colors, and may even need to wear a coat. So, think about the aesthetic you prefer.

2. Consider the start time. Remember how long the days are in the summer. For the best light we try and schedule our shots an hour before sunset. In the summer this can mean that your session may not start until around 7:30pm. Now don’t worry, we can do sessions in the morning too if you have kiddos that can’t handle a late start time. In the fall the start time is late afternoon, sometimes as early as 3:30pm which can be difficult for weekday sessions when you have to consider work schedules.

3. Think about the type of location you would like your photos taken at in relation to the time of year. For example, fall brings beautiful color so a park may be a better location for fall. Summer sunsets on the beach are gorgeous and the beach can be quite cold in the fall. Or, some of my mountain locations are snowed in as early as the beginning of November through mid February. If you are still trying to figure out what type of location you would like your session at, you can see an article I wrote about locations HERE.

Here is the thing, there really isn’t a “best” time of year for photos. What is important is that you get to spend an hour with your family, playing, loving, and connecting so that I can capture meaningful images for you to last a lifetime. So don’t get too caught up in the time of year, just make sure you book them.

We hope to get you in front of our lens soon!