Mindy Newton Photography

Spring Mini-Sessions│Sacramento Family Photographer

2012-03-09T22:08:00.000-08:00

The Way I View...│Sacramento Family Photographer

2012-03-02T00:00:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe a month has passed already and here we are in March ready to share the February round of "The Way I View..." with 12 other amazing photographers I've met through Clickinmoms. Don't forget to click over and see Breanna Peterson's point of view and continue clicking through to see all 12 photographer's views for the month.

February's theme? Sweetness and love.

As I thought of what I wanted to photograph to express this theme I was left with many different ideas, but not a lot of time left in the month to execute them. Then as I was reviewing my February images there were a few that jumped out at me right away as perfectly fitting for expressing how I view sweetness and love.

First off were these two images of my 3 1/2 yo daughter at her first day of dance class with her older and much adored cousin. These two girls could not love each other more and my heart always flutters when they see each other, be it only a day or hour since they've been apart, and tightly embrace with the innocent and all encompassing love only a child could express for another.

The other two images that stood out to me were of my son and his kindergarten teacher when she came for a home visit. We received a letter stating the kindergarten teachers were available for home visits on a voluntary basis, a program that exists in hopes of fostering more open communication between parents and teachers. We felt comfortable with the amazing Mrs. Randazzo already, but knew Myles would be beyond excited to have her come for a visit and we were right!

At the end of a very difficult day where we found out Myles' teacher's long-time teaching partner and friend had terminal stomach cancer, Mrs. Randazzo still gave of herself and came to our home visit. For an hour and a half she delighted Myles letting him be her tour director and entertainer, letting her overwhelming love for children and teaching flow out and make our little boy's day! Maybe even his year! This joyful experience for him, during a tragic day for her seems the epitome of sweetness and love.

Happy Valentine's Day!│Sacramento Children's Photographer

2012-02-14T15:00:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a wonderful day filled with love! Our family had a wonderful day and I enjoyed being able to work in both of my children's classes and see the sugarfest!

The Way I View...│Sacramento Family Photographer

2012-02-02T23:39:00.000-08:00

Each January my heart fills with the hope. A new year. A new beginning. My mind fills with thoughtful goals and projects I hope to complete.

One of these projects I'm excited to be a part of is "The Way I View...", a 12-month project with 11 other wonderful photographers from Clickinmoms documenting an image or series of images that describe the way we view things. Each month we will have a different theme to photograph and post at the beginning of the next month.

January's theme? The way I view...new beginnings.

The world is filled with many new beginnings...the tiny bloom of a bud, the cry of a newborn babe, the joy of a newly engaged couple...I could go on. However today I share the new beginnings in our home, a home newly devoid of baby gear, not a crib or bottle in sight. We've gone from baby nurseries to big kid rooms for our 5 yo son and 3 yo daughter. We've said goodbye to the baby and toddler phases and are in the beginning of the adventurous preschooler and school age phases.

Now please head on over to Gretchen Willis Photography's wonderful view of New Beginnings and leave her some love!

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Valentine Mini-Session│Sacramento Children's Photographer

2012-02-01T11:48:00.000-08:00

I had so much fun with these two cuties at our Valentine Mini-Session! This little guy will certainly live up to his t-shirt as a heartbreaker with those gorgeous blue eyes and happy smile!

I am a Fort Engineer│Sacramento Family Photographer

2012-01-30T19:41:00.000-08:00

I am so proud to be part of the amazing Clickin Moms "I am a Photographer" campaign, raising money for RAINN, the country's largest anti-sexual assault organization.

I encourage you to see the whole video they created here, it's a wonderful collection of amazing women and a reminder that we are so much more than just photographers.

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Holiday Edition of What to Wear│Sacramento Family Photographer

2011-12-20T13:37:00.000-08:00

It has been a busy last few months here at Mindy Newton Photography and I've enjoyed all of the lovely families and children I've photographed. Between editing images, processing orders, photographing sessions and keeping up with emails, my little blog has been sorely neglected. I hope you all have found me on Facebook though as that is a fabulous way to keep up with what is going on at Mindy Newton Photography!

In the next few weeks I do hope to begin updating my blog as there has been lots going on and much to be excited about in 2012! Until then, please enjoy this Holiday Edition of "What to Wear"...

What to Wear│ Fall 2011

2011-11-20T12:47:00.000-08:00

As the holidays near and the season of Fall family photo sessions is almost over, I don't want you to miss out on these great clothing combinations if you're still completely lost in choosing YOUR family's outfits for photos.

Shutterfly Giveaway Winners Announced!│Sacramento Family Photographer

2011-11-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

It's Friday - woo hoo!

Thank you to all who left comments on my Christmas card giveaway from Shutterfly! I used Random.org to choose the winner:

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; The numbers generated by this widget come from RANDOM.ORG's true random number generator.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br /&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>
Unfortunately I couldn't get the actual generated results to post, but the winners were commenter #4:

"Kelly said...
Mindy! this is a great giveaway, love Shutterfly too."

November 15, 2011 9:14 PM

And commenter #2:

Anonymous said...LOVE IT!! I use Shutterfly all the time too! And with a photo shoot Sunday this would be perfect!! ~Raeane ;)

November 15, 2011 8:30 PM

Winners - I will be contacting you to give you your discount codes for 25 free cards.

If you didn't win please head on over to my family blog and comment for another chance to win! Giveaway ends Sunday.

Christmas Cards + A Giveaway!

2011-11-15T17:21:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again, time to scramble and book a last minute session with a photographer (if you can) or ask your neighbor to take a quick snap of you and the fam so you can get a personal Christmas card out to your friends and family before the New Year hits! Of course, ideally you would have already had that photo session booked with the photographer of your choice (hopefully me!) and your Christmas card design ready and waiting for that perfect family photo to insert with the envelopes addressed and ready to mail off December 1st.
Yet very few of us live in an ideal world and sometimes it is hard, if not impossible, to be that
always put-together Martha Stewart persona we dream of. For those of us not quite prepared, Shutterfly and their AMAZINGLY HUGE selection of Christmas cards is there to make at least the Christmas card selecting part of the season easy and quick. With just a few clicks of the mouse, uploading a family image and typing in your family's name, you can have a custom and well made card to send out to your loved ones...and they'll never know you waited until the last minute since Shutterfly's processing and shipping is so fast!

Most photographer's offer their client's the option of choosing one of only a few designs to create their high-end press printed cards. While I can definitely appreciate this and the many design options presented, I've found Shutterfly to be an excellent and comparable alternative. For the past 4 years I have used Shutterfly to create photobooks for myself and to give to family members as gifts. In addition, I use Shutterfly to create photo calendars each year using pictures taken from that exact month of the year before so I can see how much the children have grown and changed from year to year. These calendars are also given as gifts and are now looked forward to each year.

This year while trying to decide what to do for our family Christmas card I saw that Shutterfly offers a huge selection of designs - ranging in folded 5x7s, to flat stationary cards to the more economical flat photocards. I myself tend to have trouble deciding on just one photo to include with our card, so I appreciate their large selection and options of using one photo or multiple photos. Here are a few examples of some of the multi-photo designs I really like:

If you don't care to send out Christmas cards, it's not too late to put together some amazing photo gifts for friends and family. Shutterfly offers many great photo gifts that I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding something wonderful to make with your family images this year! If you don't have a big family but still want to send out cards, I love that Shutterfly even includes a fun option for you to highlight your favorite furball!

Now are you ready for a giveaway??! Shutterfly has generously allowed me to give 2 of my readers 25 FREE cards! Did you see that? 25 amazing cards absolutely FREE! They are available through December 31, 2011 and to win all you need to do is comment on this blog post by Thursday November 17th. I will pick the two winners using Random.org and send you the codes for your 25 free cards from Shutterfly. That's it, easy peasy! So please pass this along and good luck with crossing off all the projects on your Christmas "To Do" list!

Also a reminder that it's not too early to book your 2012 photo session with Mindy Newton Photography. I book a limited number of sessions each month so give me a call or send me an email if you'd like more information or want to get a session date on the calendar!

Disclosure: As a blogger, I am receiving 50 free cards from Shutterfly for this post.

Mini Session Family #2│Sacramento Family Photographer

2011-11-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

This was such a fun family to shoot, it's always nice to have a super helpful big brother to love his brother and sister and help get them to smile. Mom and dad were fantastic too and despite the ridiculously HOT October weather, we had a relaxing and successful mini-session.

Little Miss Samantha was a wonderful little model, but at the end she was just DONE!

I loved this one of the three kids - how blessed their parents are!

Mini-Session #1│Sacramento Family Photographer

2011-11-02T07:11:00.000-07:00

I had such a fun time with this family as we swapped ideas for our session and explored our location. The morning light was beautiful and the love this family shares for one another was a joy to see. A terrific family that I hope will love these images!

All Grown Up! │Sacramento Children's Photographer

2011-10-31T12:10:00.000-07:00

Let's go back about 8 years...you will find me working with little toddlers in our church's nursery and one boy in particular was such a crack up! I was so excited when his mom called me up and wanted to do a photo session with both kids. I had a great time getting to know both kids again and we captured some fun moments during our time together too. They are both so bright, friendly and funny - traits I am not the least surprised they possess knowing what a sweet lady their mom is. Andrew + Rachel - I hope you're having a fantastic Halloween!

Still a crack-up with this "Thinker" pose!

Gotta love some gorgeous light!

Finally...an Incredible Family {MAY You Be Blessed Winners}│Sacramento Family Photographer

2011-10-31T10:37:00.000-07:00

You may remember back in May I ran a campaign called "MAY You Be Blessed", my small way of honoring a well deserving family who has overcome adversity or is currently facing difficulties. The deserving family received a complimentary photo session and disc of images.

I received nominations from many wonderful and deserving families and I am honored to introduce you to the amazing Escobar family.

Here is the nomination email I received for Jaime and her family,

"Jaime Escobar- Busy mommy to 4 kids ages 6, 5 year old twins and a 3 year old with special needs. Her pelvis broke when she was pregnant with the twins. When her youngest was born she had four kids two and under. Her youngest Maggie appeared fine when she was born but when she was a few months old she was diagnosed with Tubersclerosis, she has lot's of benign tumors in her brain which causes her to have seizures on a regular basis. When Maggie was just two years old Jamie had to have brain surgery and was on bed rest for 3 months. Her mom & mother in law took turns helping with the kids. Jaime also had to have a knee surgery somewhere although I can't remember the exact timing of when. They were told that little Maggie would never walk or talk and at one point they were told to gather all of the family because Maggie had only a short time to live. They were also told Maggie would need a lobectomy but with the risk of loosing her hearing & eye sight. Jaime decided against this and is giving Maggie a special liquid diet and she is showing lot's of improvement. Maggie is now 3 years old and is doing great. She is a little miracle. She can walk and talk. She can laugh & play and do things that they never thought she could do. Jaime keeps busy with activities for the older kids and therapy for little Maggie. Jaime is so friendly & happy & encouraging. One would never know that she has faced so many difficulties in the last few years. Jaime just completed her first half marathon. Family pictures would be so special to them. It would be a reminder of all that they have been through and to celebrate how far they have come."

I had a wonderful time at our session Jaime and LOVED working with you sweet family! You are an inspiration and blessing to many!

This image may not jump out to some as wonderful, but considering little Maggie was never expected to walk, this is not only beautiful but extraordinary!

Light + A Wagon + A Truck - Oh my!│Sacramento Children's Photographer

2011-10-21T10:09:00.000-07:00

I had such a fun morning photographing this cute guy. We had gorgeous light and he had a blast playing with my wagon and truck. At 22 months old Mr. T was up and running most of the time, not interested in sitting still for pictures and can you blame him? There are too many exciting things to explore at a park and I had fun following him along and trying to capture his innocent adventure.

I love what he's doing with his hands, just holding onto that one little finger.

Andi│Sacramento Senior Photographer

2011-10-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

Andi, or "Teacher Andi" as my kids call her as she teaches their Wednesday night Bible class, is the cutest gal and so fun and easy-going to boot! A recent college grad, she and I enjoyed an evening together chatting about her plans for the future (including grad school) and the trouble my kids cause in her class. Just joking! Kind of. :) She's definitely one of those women beautiful both inside and out and I can't wait to see what these next few years hold for her!

Annie│Sacramento Senior Photographer

2011-10-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Just doing a little catching up on the blog....I've been way behind in posting! Here are a few of the lovely Annie, a sweet gal I met up with back in August.

What to Wear│September 2011

2011-09-30T23:59:00.000-07:00

I Heart Faces│A Touch of Sun│Sacramento Children's Photographer

2011-09-20T08:36:00.000-07:00

The theme at "I Heart Faces" this week is "A Touch of Sun" and I thought this image from my session this morning with a fun-loving 22 month old boy fit the bill perfectly with a slight touch of morning light. Loved how he was pulling his "Rabbit" along and stopped to give it a little hug.

Emily│Class of 2012 {Sacramento Senior Photographer}

2011-09-14T12:13:00.000-07:00

Eleven years ago she was my adorable little flower girl in the pretty yellow dress, today she is a senior in high school getting ready to take on the world! Emily is such a talented artist with a beautiful and loving personality that draws people to her. Athletic and funny, my children love spending time with her and we've been blessed to spend a few summers vacationing with her family as well.

I hope you like your images from our beach side session - I'm so glad we were able to sneak it in while on vacation this year!

Emily's friend Bailey was along for our session and this made it all the more fun! I encourage seniors to bring a friend along as it can loosen things up and make the session an even more enjoyable and memorable experience for everyone!

Fall Holiday Family Sessions {Sacramento Family Photographer}

2011-08-30T16:40:00.001-07:00

What to Wear│August 2011

2011-08-28T00:02:00.000-07:00

Back-to-School Custom Portrait Mini Sessions

2011-08-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

I Heart Faces│Beautiful Eyes │Sacramento Photographer

2011-08-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've participated in I Heart Faces themed challenges, but when I saw the theme this week was "Beautiful Eyes" I immediately knew which little beauty I'd submit.

Princess Isabella + Family

2011-08-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Princess Isabella has joined this Star Wars-loving, testosterone driven family and the boys...

...are LOVING it!

Tina + John have two amazing boys who are cute as can be and most definitely all boy, yet they couldn't be more thrilled with their beautiful new little sister and I've heard little Luke is so smitten he has been known to need his "baby fix" from sweet Isabella. It's been wonderful watching as this family has grown and I was thankful to be able to capture a few images of them for my friend and fellow photographer Christina Harrison.

Looking forward to seeing as Princess Isabella shows the boys who's boss!

Best Laid Plans│Sacramento Family Photographer

2011-08-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray." - Robert Burns

It's nice when a client comes to me with a vision for their session, a plan. They know what they want and this makes it much easier for us to work together in creating the perfect session. That is, however, assuming there are no other people to get in our way.....

Alicia is a planner, one of my dearest friends, she is always on time with her day calendar in hand and I appreciate how she always seems so organized and put together - even despite having 3 kids under 6! On the flip side, I've also seen her in the chaos of life and am in awe with how graciously and calmly she goes with the flow and makes the best of any situation.

Fast forward to our session last month - Alicia knew she wanted a beach session and after scouting the area I found what seemed like the perfect sandy beach location. Unfortunately we were under a heat wave and the beach during our mid-week evening session was still completely drowning in people! Not exactly ideal when you're looking to create a beautiful family portrait on the beach...with just your family and no one else. Alicia and Joe were fantastic though and easily went with whatever I suggested and I hope they're happy with what we came up with. They have three incredible children and it was a blast seeing their loving (and mischievous) interactions with one another!

Stunning│Sacramento High School Senior Photographer

2011-08-01T12:56:00.000-07:00

I've known Savannah's mom for a few years and have always appreciated how laid back and joyful she seems to be. Our session with Savannah was more of the same, easy-going and lots of fun! She chose a beautiful garden location and was up for the urban location I spotted along the way as well. Savannah loves to cook with baking as her specialty, and I can see a very "sweet" future ahead for this stunning young woman!

What to Wear│July 2011 {Sacramento Family Photographer}

2011-07-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

Modern Day Hippy│Sacramento Senior Photographer

2011-07-08T15:57:00.000-07:00

Meet Connor, an adventurous, fun-loving and down-to-earth guy and a recent high school grad! I've known him a few years and can't believe the cute kid who would hang out with my kiddos while we were at Bible study is now ready to venture off into adulthood. Crazy how time flies so fast! Connor and I met up at a little local town that was perfect for capturing this awesome grad.

He may be modern, but this VW bus driving + bike riding guy has some completely happy hippy in him as well! Oh and thanks Connor for giving me my first chance to drive a VW bus, I'll just go on record as saying it was an....experience. :)

I had such a fun time at our session and cannot believe how fearless he was about heights! Thank you Connor for including me in this important time in your life, you are such an outstanding young man and I look forward to seeing the amazing things in store for your future!

Abigail│Sacramento Newborn Photographer

2011-06-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

This summer I've been blessed to spend time with so many gorgeous new baby girls and their fabulous parents! I'm pleased to introduce you to the lovely Miss Abigail, a little sweetheart with such loving and cool parents.

It was fabulous to meet you Casey + Shannon and thank you for choosing Mindy Newton Photography!

Baby Love│Sacramento Newborn Photographer

2011-06-16T16:35:00.000-07:00

All newborn babies evoke feelings of sweet precious love and adoration. However, this little girl is actually named after the stuff and with the middle name of "Love" her parents couldn't be more enraptured by her if they tried! In fact, it is the first time I've had a mom tear up with joy and love as she watched our session coming together and saw her beautiful babe sleeping so sweet.

Daddy's Girl

I fell in love with all of these black and white conversions. With both parents filled with talent in music, Miss Chloe Love will no doubt enjoy some amazing lullabies.

Daddy wowed us with his baby shushing skills and tender care for his girl

What to Wear│Families│Summer 2011

2011-06-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

It took awhile for the weather to agree, but Summer is finally here and the late evening light is perfect for those gorgeous family sessions! Want to book a session but not sure what to wear? No problem! Give me a call or shoot me an email (info@mindynewtonphotography.com) and once I get to know a little about you and your family we can work together in deciding the perfect location and clothing choices to make your session go smoothly and beautifully. In the meantime, here are some simple classic and fresh outfits to get your creative summer fashion juices flowing!

"MAY you Be Blessed" recipient announced...│Sacramento Family Photographer

2011-06-01T17:34:00.000-07:00

I Heart Faces│Best Face Photo from May│Sacramento Children's Photographer

2011-05-31T08:31:00.000-07:00

I Heart Faces is having their May "People's Choice" Best Face of May photo challenge and I knew I had to submit this one of my adorable niece from our session a couple of weeks ago. Tomorrow I'd love it if you'd head on over to I Heart Faces and vote for this photo, it is #252. Thanks!

I Heart Faces│Yellow {Sacramento Newborn Photographer}

2011-05-24T16:32:00.000-07:00

"Yellow" is the theme this week over at I Heart Faces so I am sharing a creative edit with you from a recent newborn session. I adored this yellow headband and it was this Daddy's favorite for his girl as well.

You can head on over to see more "Yellow" submissions for the week.

I Heart Faces│May Flowers

2011-05-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

They may not be bright and colorful, but I love their beautiful simplicity. To see more lovely flowers you can visit I Heart Faces.

Elizabeth + Family│Sacramento Lifestyle Photographer

2011-05-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

Little Miss Elizabeth was already about a month old for our "newborn" session and wasn't too sleepy, but she was still such a doll and loved being swaddled. To make her session extra special we were able to incorporate extended family that was in town and of course we included her big sisters too!

Poor Sophia had a full leg cast but showed us she can get around just fine and adores her newest little sister!

Elizabeth is blessed with a gorgeous and oh so loving mama!

Fun time romping around with Uncle Tim!

I'll leave you with this last one of Great Grandma holding her sweet gal!

Emma│Sacramento Newborn Photographer

2011-05-16T10:57:00.000-07:00

Oh Emma - what a sweet little joy you were to photograph! You may remember her parents as they were excitedly anticipating her arrival in their maternity session and she has been such a little blessing to them!

Oh I love when newborns give me a little smile!

Some gorgeous black and whites...

Beauty is all in the little details...

Miracles DO Happen│Sacramento Newborn Photographer

2011-05-16T10:43:00.000-07:00

Miss Madelyn was a miracle from the start, surprising her parents who had already lovingly adopted two children believing they couldn't conceive. Then only 23 weeks into the pregnancy Miss Madelyn was born weighing only 1 lb. and miraculously survived the next 3 months in the NICU. Our session was actually a week before her April 5th due date. Madelyn was released home but unfortunately had to be on oxygen 24/7 in those weeks after leaving the hospital. Despite needing the constant oxygen, Madelyn was a healthy, dare I say, delightfully chunky little girl with a sweet and easy-going personality. What a blessing it was to be part of documenting this miracle baby, a true gift from above!

I took one shot with the oxygen, but mom wanted the majority of images to focus on sweet Madelyn and I can't blame her one bit!

The whole family - dressed to impress and just in time for Easter!

Garrett, Gabby & Madelyn - it was a joy to meet you!

Let me just leave you with a smile...

Baby Blues│Sacramento Children's Photographer

2011-05-05T16:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite parts of having my business grow is the increased opportunity I have to meet amazing people and their children. I met these two cuties on the morning of our session and enjoyed getting to know their parents and capturing a bit of their personalities. Enjoy meeting the adorable Alison and Riley!

I just adore Alison's big blue eyes!

Announcing a little something special...

2011-05-01T19:42:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Just a reminder that nominations need to include a detailed explanation of why this individual/family deserves blessing, their "story" if you will, and ONLY nominations emailed to info@mindynewtonphotography.com will be considered. Also, feel free to nominate yourself or YOUR family!

I Heart Faces│Soft and Sweet

2011-04-30T23:54:00.000-07:00

I Heart Faces's theme this week is "Soft and Sweet" and I thought this one of my boy would suffice:

What to Wear│Seniors 2011

2011-04-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

Graduation is just around the corner, the future looms with unlimited potential. If you haven't had your Senior Portraits done yet there is still time so please contact me ASAP to secure a session. If you're at a loss for what to wear for your Senior Session I have a couple of suggestions for you...

Lovely Expectation│Sacramento Maternity Photographer

2011-04-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

Maternity sessions are so much fun for me. I love the anticipation of that precious life growing within, the joy and glow for both the expectant mother and father and the endless possibilities that await! Heather and Bryan were expecting their first, a little girl I had the pleasure of photographing...look for her newborn post soon! Thank you Heather and Bryan for letting me be a part of this incredible time in your lives!

What to Wear│Families│Spring 2011

2011-04-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

Spring is here and it's time for some lovely family sessions! If you're in need of inspiration in planning your families clothing choices, look no further than this latest "What to Wear" guide.

The R Family │Sacramento Family Photographer

2011-04-04T10:49:00.000-07:00

Another little catch-up post to share this fun-loving family with you! Janet and Bill sure made a couple of cute and energetic little kiddos. The best part was watching how well they got along with one another and truly seemed to enjoy being with each other. Thank you R family for a fun session and for being flexible with the time so we could sneak it in before the rain storm hit!

These two siblings were so sweet to watch!

I always like to get some special images of just mom and dad...

So glad they wanted to bring their ENTIRE family...including their pup!

I Heart Faces│Slice of Life {Sacramento Family Photographer}

2011-03-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

I Heart Faces' challenge theme this week is "Slice of Life" and I thought what better capture of a slice of life than this one from my session yesterday capturing the big boys playing around with the little girls, complete with a full casted leg, and Great Grandma adoring her newest little granddaughter?

Princess Lizzie Lou│Sacramento Newborn Photographer

2011-03-21T16:07:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love a sweet little newborn baby? Even more, who doesn't love an incredibly easy-going, happy, content and lovely little baby girl? I had been waiting a long time to photograph this little beauty and loved photographing her mama for her maternity session. Oh Lizzie Lou - I completely adore you!

Finally - a chance to use my vintage suitcases!

Love her beautiful smile here!

Expecting A Princess│Sacramento Maternity Photographer

2011-03-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

Children are a gift, no matter their gender, but after having and loving her two boys this mama is ready for a little princess! Meet my dear (and beautiful) friend Alicia, whose grace, joy and enthusiasm for life radiates to all who know her. We had a great time planning out her maternity session which consisted of 3 different locations, so be prepared for a plethora of images of this gorgeous mama-to-be!

What pregnant mama doesn't love indulging in a little ice cream?

It adds so much more when I'm able to incorporate the whole family in a maternity session:

I can't decide which of these three is my favorite and loved both the color and b/w versions:

What to Wear│ Spring 2011

2011-03-16T22:58:00.000-07:00

Despite the dreary, rainy weather we're having this week, Spring is here and Spring sessions can be so much fun! I love how green everything is, so fresh and hopeful, full of new life. Most people think bold colors are a must for photography sessions, but against the bold, fresh green grasses this gray/white/yellow palette would be perfection as it pops and draws all the attention to the subjects in a very subtle way. Always a fan of yellow (it just makes me happy), I love the yellow headband paired with a simple white top and chinos. And that yellow ruffle top? Ahhh....I want!

Sweet Glory│Sacramento Children's Photographer

2011-03-15T20:04:00.000-07:00

Being a part of my client's lives as their photographer and friend means the world to me! I've been blessed with the privilege of photographing Sweet Glory since she was still in her mama's tummy! You may remember her newborn session as well. Fast forward six months and this little girl has grown up into quite the little beauty! Despite battling the tail end of a cold, Glory could not have been sweeter or more cooperative throughout our session. I hope you enjoy some of my favorites:

A couple of the family:

I just adore this bonnet:

Sunflare │ I Heart Faces Challenge

2011-03-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

This week's theme at I Heart Faces is "Sunflare". This image was captured during one of my recent sessions (I'll be posting all about Glory soon) and I thought it fit the theme perfectly!

Go over to I Heart Faces and see all of the lovely entries!

The Other Newtons │Sacramento Family Photographer

2011-03-09T17:43:00.000-08:00

When I married my husband I married his amazing family as well. Here is a little peek from last Fall of my adorable niece and nephews and my gorgeous sister and brother-in-law, we are so blessed to call them neighbors as well!

Teaching Hands │ I Heart Faces│ Sacramento Photographer

2011-02-28T22:11:00.000-08:00

This week's theme at I Heart Faces is "Anything But A Face". How ingrained we become to look and seek for images with faces in them, highlighting the eyes, the smile, the emotion found in the face, but how much we miss when we don't take into consideration all the other parts that make up who we are.

True beauty is often found when we look beyond the perfect portrait, when we see the simple truths taught from generation to generation. Simple truths like where orange juice comes from. Simple, beautiful truths like how great it feels to work together.

This is my entry this week - a shot from today of my father teaching my daughter how to juice one of the oranges from his tree. Go see the other fantastic entries at I Heart Faces.

Sibling Valentine's │Sacramento Children's Photographer

2011-02-17T13:17:00.000-08:00

These cute siblings made for a fun Valentine's session!

What to Wear│February

2011-02-15T10:23:00.000-08:00

Inspired By Memories│Sacramento Lifestyle Photographer

2011-02-07T00:56:00.000-08:00

The last four weeks I have enjoyed participating in a fantastic workshop by the amazing Brooke Snow. For our last assignment we were to plan a shoot around something that inspires us that is not photography related and that we haven't seen as an idea by anyone else. I'll admit this assignment was difficult for me at first, what inspires me? My children? Of course! My husband? Without a doubt! Yet these three do not always make the best subjects for me and I wanted to stretch my creative juices a bit more than that.

Brooke mentioned during the workshop about wanting to recreate some of her childhood memories and while out for a run one day I was busy brainstorming for this weeks assignment when I was flooded with all these visuals of one of my birthday parties where my mother filled a couple of suitcases with some of her dress-up clothes and we had a relay race trying to see which team could get dressed up the fastest. I don't remember all of the particulars of the game but it was a fun-filled memory and I immediately loved that it would allow me the opportunity to utilize a couple of old suitcases I've been dying to work into a session!

I can't say for sure this idea is completely original, I'm sure there are other photographer's that have probably done something similar, but I haven't seen them yet so I created my own "party" atmosphere and had a blast with the girls who came and the one little boy who crashed the dress-up party!

I couldn't get enough of this cutie!

No surprise here - the cupcakes were a huge hit!

Thank you to the girls that joined our party - I hope you had as much fun as I did!

I Heart Faces │ Best Face Photo from January

2011-01-31T01:47:00.000-08:00

This image definitely portrays just one of the MANY expressive and hilarious faces my little Miss Em makes each day! With lots of sad and discouraging news we've received this month about friends and their children, I count myself so blessed to wake up each morning able to revel in all this girl and her brother are and will be and just covering this sweet face with kisses!!!

Joey + Sarah = True Bliss! │Sacramento Couples Photographer & Sacramento Maternity Photographer

2011-01-31T01:23:00.000-08:00

Oh the fun that can be had when you have a story to tell! That's what I believe the true essence of photography is anyway, the ability and opportunity to tell a person(s) unique and wonderful story and I feel privileged as a photographer when people trust their story to little 'ole me.

Meet Joey + Sarah, an absolutely adorable, fun-loving and giving couple who enjoy life to it's fullest don't mind if that includes a little bit of goofiness! When Joey proposed to Sarah it was in the form of an elaborate and thoughtful scavenger hunt. She was driven around in a limousine to various locations where the merchants were to give her the clues Joey had prepared. If memory serves me right, the hunt concluded when she was at the State capitol at dusk and the chauffeur directed her to a spot in the garden and then told her to turn around....and there he was on one knee with a beautiful ring and an even more precious promise of the future they would have together. Swoon.

One of the stops on the hunt was Rick's Dessert Diner. This was our first stop at our session last Sunday and I had not anticipated what a hot spot it would be on a Sunday afternoon! Person after person kept coming in and the line nearly went out the door, but Joey found us a corner table and we enjoyed capturing some moments between them as they shared a milkshake and then some coffee before heading back outside for a few minutes with their babies (aka Bubba the Blind and little Tyson).

Next we headed to a nearby church that Joey + Sarah love.

They are due with their first baby, a little girl, in a couple of months and enjoyed this opportunity to meditate on their many blessings.

It was so much fun being able to share these moments with them.

Despite going to separate schools and not meeting until their mid-twenties, it was in this old auditorium where they both graduated from their respective high schools. It just happens to be across the street from one of their favorite restaurants, P.F. Changs.

This last image they're reacting when I exclaimed I may have been the target of an unclean bird above...oh the lengths we photographers go to tell the story!

Thank you Joey + Sarah for a fantastic time and journey through some of the special places in your lives.

One hot mama-to-be!

I think these next couple of images are some of my all-time favorites with their classic beauty and simplicity.

And like all good stories...They Lived Happily Ever After! THE END.

Sweet Silhouette│Sacramento Couples Photographer

2011-01-25T01:13:00.000-08:00

A sweet end to our session Sunday night:

I Heart Faces│Innocent Wonder

2011-01-24T08:45:00.000-08:00

This week's theme is "Innocent Wonder" and I love Miss Em's expression as she hears her first song from an Ipod.

They Cooperated (kind of)! │ Sacramento Children's Photographer

2011-01-22T09:19:00.000-08:00

I love having options and as a natural light photographer I've realized that poor weather can really hamper photo taking opportunities so I was excited to recently purchase a backdrop and stands for those sessions that require an indoor setup. I had been wanting to put together a Valentine's Day session in preparation for my Valentine's Mini-Session and was excited when a friend brought her kiddos over and we planned the perfect outfits for everyone.

Of course my two children were not too cooperative in wearing what I had planned and none of the children (save for the precious and very cooperative sleeping infant) wanted anything to do with having their pictures taken. Amazingly, once the candy came out I had a couple of very cooperative kiddos and I was able to work with the outfits we could get on them and take some adorable shots!

Happy Valentine's early to everyone!

Valentine's Mini-Session

2011-01-21T18:08:00.000-08:00

Here are just a few card options I have available (available in 4x6, 5x7, 5x5 and wallets):

Meet Kris + Belle│Sacramento HS Senior Photographer

2011-01-18T21:06:00.000-08:00

I had the greatest time on my first official "senior" session. Kris, an honors student and rugby player, has applied to a number of prestigious colleges and hopes of double-majoring in mathematics and mechanical engineering. Brainiac right? You bet, but he couldn't have been more down to earth or fun to hang with and then I had a chance to meet his beautiful girlfriend Belle.

I kept calling these two the all-star couple and hope there are more teenagers out there as kind and mature as these two. I truly enjoyed being around them and was thankful for their willingness to do whatever I asked them to and the playfulness they brought to our session. I hope you both enjoy your sneak peak - I have tons more to show you!

An adorable and lovely couple

Thank you Kris + Belle for trusting me with these special moments in your lives!

I Heart Faces│Smile

2011-01-09T21:42:00.000-08:00

I have had the opportunity to capture so many amazing and adorable smiles this year with my clients, so when I Heart Faces' challenge this week was themed "Smile" I knew I could spend hours scouring my past images or I could find one that just made my heart smile when I looked at it and this image below does exactly that:

To make your heart smile go enjoy all the lovely smiles you'll find on I Heart Faces this week!

2010 In Review│Sacramento Family Photographer

2011-01-01T17:21:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all of my clients, friends and family! I thought I'd put together a little recap of 2010 and wanted to thank you all once more for supporting Mindy Newton Photography!

52/52 - Project 52 {New Years Eve}│Sacramento Family Photographer

2010-12-31T19:55:00.000-08:00

I can't believe the year has come to an end - and that I actually finished my Project 52 (with a little catch-up help)! I'll end the year with two pictures from today. The first of my mom sitting on the couch holding my son's hand as they watch a video (utilizing my new external flash my hubby gave me for Christmas):

This second picture gives you a little idea of what hubby and I are doing to celebrate New Years! I've been sick since Christmas Eve and my daughter is sick as well, so we decided to stay in tonight and keep the germs confined. We just put the kiddos to bed and now we're looking forward to an evening of Lord of the Rings and breaking open that 2 lb. box of See's candy my grandma gave us - yikes!

Wishing you a wonderful and safe New Years! Thank you for following my blog and supporting my passion for photography - I couldn't do it without you friends (and family)! May you be blessed abundantly in 2011!

Merry Christmas!│Sacramento Portrait Photographer

2010-12-24T09:33:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of my clients for making this first year of capturing your lovely families such a rewarding and wonderful experience! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Greg, Raeane, Jared + Grant│Sacramento Family Photographer

2010-12-23T14:51:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful for the great friends that I have and am especially thankful when their kids love my kids and we're able to have "playdates" for the kiddos that result in another awesome opportunity for the mommies to chat. This is Raeane. She's terrific.

We first met when she and a couple of her friends came to preview my college and they stayed the weekend with my roommate and I. Her two friends ended up coming there for school, but I didn't see Raeane again for about 4 more years when we randomly saw each other at the church we started going to after my husband and I moved back up to Northern California. It's been fun getting to know she and her husband Greg and to experience our pregnancies only months apart.

Meet Jared and Grant - boys so full of life and adorable too!

I love capturing siblings!

And I really adore capturing mamas and daddies with their precious ones!

Thank you Raeane and Greg for trusting me with these moments!

51/52 - Project 52 {A Lunar Night}│Sacramento Portrait Photographer

2010-12-23T11:34:00.000-08:00

We were blessed with a break in the rain and a clear night which made it possible to see the total lunar eclipse which happened to coincide with the winter solstice. It was one time when I really wished I had a longer zoom lens, but I'm happy with this shot.

50/52 - Project 52 {My Merry Family}│Sacramento Family Photographer

2010-12-16T11:11:00.000-08:00

My Merry Family at our son's preschool Christmas program

It's Not Too Late - Christmas Gift Ideas│Sacramento Family Photographer

2010-12-13T17:11:00.000-08:00

I am nearing the end of my holiday sessions and have been so grateful for my fabulous clients this year! I've met some fun and wonderful people and have been blessed to be a part of your memory-making journey.

If you are still stuck on some of your Christmas gifts - I have some fun and practical calendar options for you to consider! Don't delay though because the final day to order will be this Friday, December 17th.

Treasured Boys

11x14 - $15.00

8x10- $10.00

Classic

11x14 - $15.00

8x10 - $10.00

Fun & Fresh

5x7 or 8x10 available - $10.00

49/50 - Project 52 {Feeling Loved}│Sacramento Family Photographer

2010-12-09T16:05:00.000-08:00

As a photographer, taking a good picture is all about the right lighting, correct exposure and getting everything technically correct and then tweaking it some to match your style. These next couple of Project 52 posts though are nothing to do with quality and everything to do with the feelings and love they evoke each time I look at them.

I will forever feel my baby girl's cherubic arms tight around my neck as she nuzzles her cheek next to mine and hold's on for dear life while saying, "Cheeeeeese!" with her wide, wide smile:

48/52 - Project 52 {Tree Is Up and Decorated}│Sacramento Family Photographer

2010-12-02T15:47:00.000-08:00

I Heart Faces - Scenic B/W

2010-11-29T22:29:00.000-08:00

This week I'm entering a photo I took of my nephew Joshua on a local bridge. I love all of the different lines going on and the memory of waiting, waiting, waiting for the bridge to be free of walkers, joggers or bikers for that "perfect shot". It never happened but I still love this one.

Mini-Session - Awesome C Family!│Sacramento Family Photographer

2010-11-27T16:44:00.000-08:00

Family photography is so rewarding - a chance to meet some fabulous people and get to know others better. The {C Family} was one of my holiday mini-sessions and in order to accomodate their schedule we met early, I'm talking 7:30 AM early, and it was such perfect light and little Mr. R couldn't have been a better model! The key as we found, was the bag of donut holes dad had picked up on the way to the session. A genius move, that bag of donuts is not a trick I'll be forgetting anytime soon. In addition, if anyone is ever up for an early session please let me know because the light is wonderful very early in the morning.

A gorgeous young family

I loved little R's sweet smile and fun-loving personality!

Thank you {C Family} for a fabulous time!

47/50 - Project 52 {Growing Up}│Sacramento Children's Photographer

2010-11-25T13:37:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I don't really have any "babies" anymore. My 2 1/2 year old is the closest thing and I appreciate her cuddles and how she still lets me rock her sometimes, but these two are growing up and I guess I'm going to have to get used to it somehow.

A is for Adorable!│Sacramento Family Photographer

2010-11-23T14:47:00.000-08:00

I am truly enjoying this opportunity to meet so many lovely families and adorable children as I photograph them this holiday season! The {A Family} contacted me about coming to their home and capturing them in their favorite neighborhood park and we had a fantastic time together as we documented their family of three and the sweet love they have for one another.

The adorable {A Family} with one of my favorite processing styles.

Little Mr. N isn't walking quite yet so he had a blast crawling through the leaves and playing with my crate.

Happy Birthday to this adorable boy who just turned 1 this weekend!

Thank you {A Family} for the chance to meet you and create these lasting memories for you!

An Excellent Choice

2010-11-20T21:48:00.000-08:00

Fall is typically a family photographer's busiest season as everyone wants new family photos to send out in their Christmas cards. With this being my first year in business I am finding this to be true and I've been enjoying the many lovely families I've been able to photograph so far. I'm looking forward to seeing what they decide to do with their images for Christmas cards and as you've seen in this post, I enjoy designing cards for clients as well.

Most photographer's offer their client's the option of choosing one of only a few designs to create their high-end press printed cards. While I can definitely appreciate this and the many design options presented, I've found another alternative that you may like in Shutterfly. For the past 3 years I have used Shutterfly to create photobooks for myself and to give to family members as gifts. In addition, I use Shutterfly to create photo calendars each year using pictures taken from that exact month of the year before so I can see how much the children have grown and changed from year to year. These calendars are also given as gifts and are now looked forward to each year.

This year while trying to decide what to do for our family Christmas card I saw that Shutterfly offers a huge selection of designs - ranging in folded 5x7s, to flat stationary cards to the more typical flat photocards. I myself tend to have trouble deciding on just one photo to include with our card, so I appreciate their large selection and options of using one photo or multiple photos. Here are a few examples of some of the designs I really like:

Some designs like the one shown below, even offer you the ability to put more photos inside the card with the rest of your Christmas story.

If you don't care to send out Christmas cards, it's not too late to send out Thanksgiving cards or work on putting together a desk calendar for this next year. Shutterfly offers many great photo gifts that I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding something wonderful to make with your family images this year!

Disclosure: As a blogger, I am receiving 50 free cards from Shutterfly for this post. You can too - Bloggers get 50 free cards from Shutterfly, find out how!

46/52 - Project 52 {Polka Dots and Striped Delight}│Sacramento Children's Photographer

2010-11-18T10:12:00.000-08:00

What is there not to love about polka dots and stripes? I can't find a single thing.

The {G Family}│Sacramento Family Photographer

2010-11-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

Most of my clients are friends so it's exciting when I get a call from someone I don't know who wants to book a session. In fact, if you don't already know about it, I have a fantastic {Share the Love} referral program where you can earn a $50 print credit to use toward a future session for each new client that books and completes a session with Mindy Newton Photography referencing this program.

The Gustin family was a referral and I had a fantastic time getting to know them and capturing their lovely smiles.

I love the laughter that surrounded our entire session!

Thank you Brenda and Don - I hope you love your images!

Senior Peek│Sacramento Senior Photographer

2010-11-16T13:34:00.001-08:00

You just saw this guy in my last family session, but in addition to the family pics we captured a few just of him as he is a senior this year and will be graduating! Jacob is a very talented young man. A phenomenal graphic artist and storyteller, he has impressed me over the years with his comic strips and stories. In addition to his artistic talents and being a great big brother and overall joy to be around, he is an award-winning athlete winning numerous medals in cross-country. I can't wait to see what your future hold Jacob!

Family of Five│Sacramento Family Photographer

2010-11-16T13:21:00.000-08:00

Photographing this family sure made me feel old! The oldest two children were our flower girl and ring bearer at our wedding and the youngest had just been born...10 years ago! I can't believe time has flown so fast, but all kidding aside, the {L Family} holds a very special place in the hearts of my husband and I. In fact, my husband actually lived with them for a couple of months while working at a job near their home the summer we were engaged and Dominick gave a touching testimony at my in-laws' recent 40th anniversary party we hosted.

They are an all-around amazing family and I was so blessed to photograph them! I've held back some of their family shots they may want to use for their Christmas card, but I hope you'll enjoy meeting Dominick and Julie and their three fantastic children.

I saw a picture once of Julie at a Keith Green concert in the '70s and her daughter looks EXACTLY like her! Love those gorgeous big eyes!

I know Julie likes black and whites so I really had fun converting many images and have found for most I love the black and white versions best!

Thanks again Julie and Dom - love you guys!

Too Cool│Sacramento Family Photographer

2010-11-15T08:15:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of summer I had the pleasure of photographing the {R Family} when little Mr. O turned 1. Once the weather cooled and Fall had officially made an appearance, I was delighted to photograph this amazingly cool family once more at one of my favorite urban locations.

While driving to this late afternoon session the sky looked ominous and I prayed no rain would fall. We were rewarded with some yummy overcast light and a fun time together with these adorable siblings!

I love capturing the smiles and fun of children, but it's nice to take a step back and give mom and dad a few minutes alone in front of the camera as well.

I met Devon through a local mom's group and have always appreciated her gorgeous and unique sense of style. This cloth rosette necklace of hers really caught my eye and it's the little details like these that can make a photograph stand out above the rest. You see, even though the necklace is not the direct focal point of the image, it's uniqueness draws you in and makes you take notice. Thank you Devon for giving me the chance to photograph your family again - I hope you will enjoy your images for many, many years!

I used one of the {R Family's} images to create this modern and fun Christmas card - if you would like more information on Christmas card designs please contact me soon!

I Heart Faces - Silhouette

2010-11-15T03:31:00.000-08:00

When I saw the theme this week for I Heart Faces weekly challenge was "Silhouette" I knew exactly which photo to enter - a shot I took one night of some friends as we walked back to their house on the golf course. I just love the rich, graduated color and the way they are looking at one another.

The {K} Family│Sacramento Family Photographer

2010-11-11T23:06:00.001-08:00

Special people, the kind of people who just radiate warmth, love and friendship, are not always easy to find. We were blessed many years ago, shortly before becoming pregnant with our oldest, to meet a couple who is all of these traits and more! Unfortunately we don't see them nearly enough, but I was so thankful to have the opportunity to photograph them and their two fun-loving boys a few weeks ago and would love to share a few of their images with you!

Thank you so much Kennedy family for a fun afternoon and for sneaking some shots of me working with the boys:

45/52 - Project 52 {String Joy}│Sacramento Portrait Photographer

2010-11-11T10:07:00.000-08:00

I love watching my husband sitting in our living room practicing his guitar. The thoughtful concentration on his face, the sweet melody filling our home and the dancing children at our feet all combine to make it a memorable moment, but the joy in his adept fingers as they manipulate the strings was my focus for this image.

40/52 - Project 52 - {Model Kids}│Sacramento Children's Photographer

2010-11-09T16:30:00.000-08:00

I found this Project 52 post from a month ago that I somehow forgot to publish! So here it is for you and I'll be updating the last 4 weeks as well in the next day or two.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If I had my child to raise over again

I'd build self-esteem first and the house later
I'd finger paint more and point the finger less
I would do less correcting and more connecting
I'd take my eyes off my watch and watch with my eyes
I would care to know less and know to care more
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites
I'd stop playing serious and seriously play
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars
I'd do more hugging and less tugging
I'd see the oak tree in the acorn more often
I would be firm less often and affirm much more
I'd model less about the love of power
And more about the power of love.
Diane Loomans

What a great reminder of the gift my children are to me - and an encouragement of where my priorities should be! Enjoying the day with my family - I hope you are able to be doing the same!

What To Wear - Fall Family Session #4│Sacramento Family Photographer

2010-11-07T21:57:00.000-08:00

Another example of a great way to coordinate outfits and clothing choices for the whole family! Oh how I'd LOVE that sweater for mom, and the dress for the little girl, and the argyle is completely my style...

Christmas Card Designs are Here!

2010-11-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

The holidays are fast approaching and the deadline for sending out those Christmas cards will be here before you know it! I love designing cards and am happy to be offering my clients a variety of choices this Christmas season. I've designed each card with a unique style that can be customized to your taste and preferences, including font changes, some color changes and some multi-photo options.

Many people enjoy the luxury of press printed cards that typically come in sizes 5x7 and 5x5 and tend to be on the higher end of the Christmas card budget ($1 - 1.60/card). Others prefer the more budget-friendly photo printed cards that can be found usually in 4x8 size and then I know a number of people who use the extremely value-priced Costco photo cards in size 6x7.5.

I am offering designs for all of these options and today want to share with you just a few of my designs for the Costco cards.

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These first three designs come from

my Elegant Christmas Collection

These next two are from my Freshly Festive Collection

Photo taken by Lisa Smiley Photography

If you are interested in a unique, custom Christmas card design, please email me

at info@mindynewtonphotography.com and I'd love to discuss it with you!

Little Peek at What I've Been Working On...│Sacramento Family Photographer

2010-11-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

I've neglected my blog this past week, but I haven't been neglecting my clients as I've been busy shooting and editing. Here are just a few quick peeks from a couple of sessions and what you'll be seeing more of soon...

44/52 - Project 52 {Put those pictures on the wall!}│Sacramento Family Photographer

2010-11-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

So excited I finally finished a wall collage for our living room!

43/52 - Project 52 {A Swinging Birthday Bash!}│Sacramento Family Photographer

2010-10-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

Today is Daddy's birthday and the kids joined me in taking homemade cupcakes to his class. It's such a joy to be able to be home with the kids and able to have these memories celebrating together.

My daughter adores the swings, simply adores them! I love watching her as she throws her head back, closes her eyes and swings with such a contented and peaceful smile on her face, as if there is nothing in the world better than swinging in the sunshine.

An Editing Share│Sacramento Portrait Photographer

2010-10-25T23:22:00.000-07:00

I just recently started playing around with textures in some of my edits. It's a creative way to change the mood or tone of an image or add a little extra interest or focus on a particular part. I don't know that I'll be using textures frequently for my edits, but I thought I would share with you a little before and after so you can see the effect using a texture can have on an image. So which do YOU prefer?

I Heart Faces - Breast Cancer Awareness {Pink}

2010-10-25T17:45:00.000-07:00

The theme this week at I Heart Faces is "Breast Cancer Awareness - Pink" and I thought what better to post then a picture of my friend Jill, a cancer survivor, with her pink shirt and strong and encouraging spirit at our church's annual baptism in the river.

First Fall Mini-Session│Sacramento Couples Photographer

2010-10-24T21:47:00.000-07:00

In this modern age of technology I'm forging an increasing number of friendships with people I've never seen before or only met once or twice. It may seem strange to some, but through Facebook chatting, blog following or just plain old email, there are people out there in the world I feel I'm great friends with even though our friendship is expressed through the typing of keys alone.

I used to be a consultant for The Pampered Chef and met Jennie at my very first party almost 3 years ago! We ended up keeping in touch through Facebook and following one another's blogs and figured out she even knew my husband as they both teach in the same school district. Jennie is an extremely talented scrapbooker and card maker, an all around artist I would say, so I was very honored when she contacted me and booked my first mini-session.

She and Brian are one of the nicest couples and I had a fantastic time getting to know them both throughout our mini-session. I hope they'll enjoy their photos and look forward to getting to know them even better!

They hadn't had any pictures taken (formally) since their wedding six years ago so I wanted to capture some of their love for one another that was so inspiring and sweet!

A truly adorable couple - beautiful inside and out!

42/52 - Project 52 {Fall}│Sacramento Family Photographer

2010-10-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

We are enjoying such a lovely Fall this year! With trips to the Pumpkin Patch and Apple Hill and lots of family time, here are a couple of my favorite pictures from this week.

Four Things Your Photographer IS and Four Things They're NOT

2010-10-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

While browsing my favorite photography forum, Clickin' Moms (click on the link at the bottom of the blog to check it out), I saw this post by Alana Hawker of Rare Photography and thought I would share it here (with her permission of course)!

Four Things Your Photographer IS and Four Things They’re NOT

After spending countless hours, days, weeks and months perusing photographer forums I’ve come to the conclusion that there are 4 things your average family photographer IS and 4 things they are NOT.

4 Things Your Photographer IS…

1. A Parent

Every single family photographer I know is a parent. This means we are used to the hissy fits, the tragic meltdowns and the oil-to-water like aversion your toddler has to the camera. Every time I get an uncooperative toddler the parents apologize profusely for their behavior. Don’t sweat it! It makes me feel better that my kids aren’t the only ones that think standing still for 3 seconds is akin to getting your limbs ripped off. One simple apology will do just fine.

2. Patient

Sometimes it takes 10 minutes of running around, dancing like a fool, making silly noises, and talking about crazy monkeys just to get ONE good shot. Don’t bother demanding your child to sit and smile because as I’m sure every parent knows, the harder you push a toddler, the harder they push back. And an irritated toddler doesn’t give good smiles!

3. Busy

Taking pictures isn’t the only part of our job. Sometimes it’s not our only job at all! Please please please (yes, I’m on my knees begging!) be on time to your shoot. If you aren’t going to be on time, at least give us a call and give us your ETA. We may have clients lined up right after you, we may only have a babysitter for a certain amount of time. Whatever the case may be, it’s just plain good manners to let us know if you’re going to be late. Barring a true, provable emergency, if you don’t bother showing up, don’t expect your deposit back. Just because we didn’t shoot pictures doesn’t mean we didn’t spend time preparing for your shoot by gathering props, creating a pose list tailored to your shoot, checking the weather and lighting, etc.

4. An Artist

Photography is an art, just like painting. Each photographer has their own style. If you don’t like what you see on their website, that photographer is not a good fit for you. People who like Picasso like his style. He is unique. Every photographer has their own unique style as well. You should hire your own Picasso. Don’t hire any old photographer and request they change their style to what you want. Most photographers have spent years perfecting their style. Asking them to change it is not only insulting but also doesn’t give them the necessary years of practice and will likely result in images not nearly as pleasing as you expect. Also, our status of being artists entitles us to be a little kooky and eccentric. It’s the fun part of our job description.

4 Things Your Photographer is NOT…

1. Walmart

As much as we’d LOVE (I think love isn’t quite strong enough a word) to be grossing $405.6 billion per year, we aren’t. Heck, I’d love to gross $405.6 thousand per year! But alas, we are all small businesses. We don’t have the sales necessary to offer $5 portrait sheets. We also don’t utilize cheap ink or poor quality paper just to keep costs down. We charge what we need to to not only keep our business afloat, but also food on our table. If that’s outside of your budget, that’s perfectly fine. Most photographers fall into the “starving artist” category and can’t afford to book themselves, so it’s not going to offend us if you can’t afford us. It WILL offend us however, if you request us to price match someone else. Our price point is unique because our business is unique. Nobody but nobody is going to have the EXACT SAME costs as anyone else. Please understand that 99% of us aren’t priced to be making $100,000 per year, we’re priced to afford preschool for our kids, shoes for our feet and food for our bellies. If you want Walmart prices, go to Walmart! Just don’t expect personal photographer quality for Walmart prices, and visa versa.
As a subnote to this, we’re also not able to give things away for free no matter who you are. Asking us as your friend to “take a few shots of the party/event since you’re here” would be like asking your dentist friend to “examine the teeth of all the guests for free since you’re here”. It’s not okay to ask that. If we want to take a few pictures, we will. If we want to send you the pix we take, we will. Unless you’re willing to pay our regular rate, please don’t ask us to take “just a few pictures”. You may get lucky and have a friend with a special friends and family rate, but remember, you wouldn’t do your job for free, please don’t expect us to do ours for free.

2. A Plastic Surgeon

Photoshop is an AMAZING tool! Unfortunately, it doesn’t substitute for a scalpel. We can easily hide zits, conceal under-eye bags and sometimes even shave off a few pounds here and there. We cannot turn a new-mommy-body into Gisele Bundchen’s body with a few key strokes. (And if we could, we’d be in Hollywood making the aforementioned billions!) Moms are expected to have normal size 14-ish bodies, complete with a little pooch belly, and sometime, yes, even the feared double chin. If you can’t love yourself the way you are, perhaps getting giant paper printouts of what you look like in all your natural glory isn’t the right thing for you right now.

3. A Magician

We can, in some ways, be thought of as magicians. We can take your memories, your precious children and photograph them in such a way that you will treasure their portraits, the captured moment, forever. But we cannot wave a magic wand and make your sugar-buzzing 3 year old sit still, brush their hair and smile like a Gerber baby. You are paying us for our time and our artistic talent. If someone (who may or may not even be of toddler age *cough* DAD, I’m talking to you!) doesn’t want to cooperate, we can only try so hard. You (in most cases) are not obligated to buy prints if you don’t like them, but please don’t expect to be refunded for the session fee if pictures didn’t turn out to your liking through no fault of our own. Please remember, we were out there, trying as hard as possible to get great pictures for you. We deserve to be compensated for our time. Depending on the situation you may even be offered a free or discounted re-shoot, but don’t expect anything. Sometimes the child is a lost cause and will refuse to be photographed no matter what the situation. That doesn’t say anything to your parenting or how good your child is, that just says your toddler is normal. Toddlers are miniature control freaks and if they don’t want something to happen, it wont be happening no matter the bribe!
We also aren’t mind readers. If there’s a certain something you do or don’t want, please tell us! Nicely.

4. A Robot

We are human. We feel overjoyed when we have a great shoot and we feel devastated when we have a terrible one. There is no need to treat us like anything other than living, breathing humans. We make mistakes sometimes. We don’t deserve to be berated or ridiculed because we didn’t get the shots you hoped for. When we get a shot you love, tell us! Share your joy! And for the love of pete, BE POLITE! Please and thank you go a loooooong way. I know several photographers that give free gifts and prints to clients that treat them like human friends instead of contracted camera slaves. Besides, it’s just good manners.
Despite all of the fun little intricacies people rarely consider, I still see my job as one of the funnest there is, and I know most of the photographers that inspired me to write this do to. I don’t think any of us would trade it for the world. I think our goal is just to remind people that though our job is fun, it’s still a job.