Maternity

What to Expect:

A Grammy Pics Maternity session captures the beauty and joy of this season of anticipating a new life. Pregnancy is never all comfort, peace and delight, but maternity portraits will capture forever the delight, excitement and emotion that go along with the swollen ankles and sleepless nights. My goal in every maternity session is to reveal the beauty of motherhood as each new little life is nurtured. 

Your Maternity session should be scheduled between weeks 28 and 36. The closer to the end, the better for those lovely, round tummies, but waiting too long can mean baby may preempt your photography plans! When you contact me to schedule your session, we will discuss what to expect, how to plan for your session and I can answer any questions you have about what to wear, where we will shoot, etc.

Your Maternity session includes up to 2 hours of photography time, including any necessary setup, and a maximum of 8 hours of editing. A minimum of 15 and up to 40 fully-edited, watermark free images will be provided to you in digital form. I will also provide an artist release form for your printing purposes. I do ask that when posting my images in an online format (Facebook, Pinterest, blogs, etc.) that you use the watermarked files that will be included on your disc. If you have special editing requests (black and white, sepia, etc.), please mention those before your shoot ends. I cannot promise additional editing time to go back and add special processing to your images. 

What to Plan For:

• If you have particular items, poses or themes you wish included in your maternity photos, please mention these when scheduling your session. I will do my best to accommodate your requests, however the light, space and my artistic eye for your photo shoot will be the final determiners of what images come from our day of shooting.
  
  
• Do your best to schedule your Grammy Pics session for a time of day during which you feel most energetic and rested. Bring a few snacks and water along so that you will feel as comfortable as possible while we are out and about.  

• Consider beforehand whether you would like me to include "bare belly" poses or prefer to not show any skin. Knowing ahead of time what you are comfortable with will help me to better plan our session time. 

• If you would like to include siblings in your photos, there is an additional $25 charge.

Questions/Special Requests

If you have any questions or special requests regarding your Grammy Pics session, please make sure to mention them when scheduling your appointment. My goal is for each new mama to enjoy her Grammy Pics session and be completely happy with the results. The more information and expectations shared at the beginning, the better able I will be to reach that goal. 

Read More

Birth Stories

There are few greater privileges than having a family ask you to be present at the birth of their child. Few experiences in life quite match the emotion, joy and awe of watching a little person come into the world. Whether I am asked to be there for the whole process or come in the first hours after the big event, delivery room photography is a special joy of mine. 

If you would like Grammy Pics to capture your birth story, please contact me to discuss your family's desires for this special event. Birth Story photography should be scheduled as early as possible because babies come whenever they please, so reserving time in a photography schedule is a bit tricky! 

Birth Story photography can include documenting your entire childbirth experience from the first contractions through baby's first bath. Or, if a family prefers a more private experience, I can come in immediately after delivery to capture all Baby's firsts - footprints, bath, meeting the family, etc. Because each family is so unique in what they want during childbirth, Birth Story photography is individually customized to suit your requests.

A few things to know about Grammy Pics Birth Story photography...

• My job is to be as invisible as possible and focus on capturing the many emotions and important moments of your child's entrance into the world. I aim to be as non-intrusive as possible. While I have done labor support in the past, my presence at your delivery will be photographic only and shouldn't be thought of as another set of comforting hands during your delivery.

• While I will work hard to capture every "first" of your little one's life, respect for the doctors, midwives and nurses and their work will come before photography. Therefore, I cannot promise a certain number or list of shots that will be included. During our interview we will go over what is most important to you for your child's birth story.

• While I work to tell the whole story of your child's birth, I also want to protect the modesty of Mama. During our initial interview we will discuss how much you want included of the actual moments of delivery.

•  Your Birth Story photographs will be provided, fully-edited, in digital format, watermark-free, with an artist release for printing purposes. Watermarked files will also be included which I ask that you use when posting your photos to the Internet. For an additional fee, I will create a story-book album of your child's birth which can be requested at your scheduling interview.

• There is no time limit on Birth Story photography as each baby decides for themselves how long they take to enter our world!

• To tell the complete story of your child's birth, consider also scheduling Maternity and Newborn sessions when setting up your Birth Story plan.

Read More

Newborns

What to Expect:

A Grammy Pics Newborn session includes ages birth to 6 weeks old. If you are interested in the popular "sleeping baby" posed portraits, the most ideal time to schedule your shoot is between 5 and 14 days old. Because of this, planning and scheduling your Grammy Pics Newborn session before Baby arrives is recommended.

Every Grammy Pics Newborn session begins with a pre-session planning meeting. This can be done over the phone. We will go over what to expect, what to prepare for, what props or themes you are interested in and what pose requests you may have. 

During summer months, you may choose to have your pictures done outdoors. Weather permitting, I'm happy to shoot on location within an hour travel time from my home. I can also suggest several outdoor locations I have used previously.

My number one priority during your newborn's photo session is the baby's comfort and safety. This means that most Newborn sessions last between 2 and 3 hours and are led by the needs of the baby. While I will do my best to accommodate any requests for your newborn session, all planned poses, props and themes will be dependent on your baby's comfort and needs. We will stop several times throughout the shoot for comforting, diaper changes, and feedings as needed. The shooting area will be kept at a toasty temperature so as to keep your little one warm and happy when being posed in his or her "birthday suit."

Your Grammy Pics Newborn session includes travel, setup, shooting and cleanup time at a maximum total of 3 hours. I always come with a plan in mind and a variety of props and backdrops to put that plan into action. Babies have their own ideas, however, and part of capturing beautiful newborn pictures is going with their flow.

A maximum of 8 hours of editing time is included with your session fee. Your final edited images will be narrowed down to between a minimum of 20 and up to 40 files. Keep in mind that while we will do several different poses and settings during your sessions, the resulting prints may not include every pose we shot. If you have special editing requests (black and white, sepia, etc.), please mention those during our planning meeting. I cannot promise additional editing time to go back and add special processing to your images after delivery. Your final images will be delivered on a flash drive with full release for use.

What to Plan For:

• While your baby may not yet be on a regular schedule by the time his or her newborn session comes along, try to plan pictures to begin just after a feeding. A full baby is a sleepy, happy baby!

• Have on hand whatever you've discovered makes your little one relaxed and peaceful - pacifiers, soft blankies, etc. 

• Feel free to provide any little outfits you would like baby to wear during pictures. If you have a particular "must-have," make sure to mention it in our planning session so we can start with that. However, one of the best part of newborns is their beautiful new-ness! This is usually best captured by leaving them in their own skin or just a diaper with a few cute accessories. Your baby will always be tastefully posed to protect their modesty, but if you prefer your baby fully-dressed in all images, please be sure to mention this during our planning meeting so I can prepare accordingly.  

• Don't forget the accessories! While I have a growing selection of bits and pieces I will bring along, be sure to have a collection of your favorite headbands, hats, booties, special blankies, etc. 

Questions/Special Requests

If you have any questions or special requests regarding your Grammy Pics session, please make sure to mention them when scheduling your appointment. My goal is for every family to both enjoy their Grammy Pics session and be completely happy with the results. The more information and expectations shared at the beginning, the better able I will be to reach that goal. 

 

Read More

Babies

What to Expect:

A Grammy Pics "Baby" session includes ages 8 weeks to 1 year old. This can be a one-time portrait shoot, or a "Baby's First Year" series by scheduling a Grammy Pics session for 3, 6 and 9 months and then an extended 1st birthday shoot. 

When you schedule a Grammy Pics Baby session, we will begin by discussing in detail your desires for your baby's portraits. Weather permitting, I'm happy to shoot on location within an hour travel time from my home. I can also suggest several outdoor locations I have used previously. If indoor shooting is needed or preferred, I will come to your home with all the equipment necessary to create a mini-studio on site. 

I am a completely natural light photographer, so the first thing I'll do upon arrival is spend a few minutes locating the best place to photograph your baby in the light available. If an outdoor shoot is scheduled, we will work for a time of day that provides the most flattering light and reschedule as necessary when our Oregon weather interferes. I currently do not have a private studio space.

A Grammy Pics Baby session will usually last between 1 and 2 hours, including setup and tear-down. I always come with a plan in mind and a variety of props and backdrops to put that plan into action. Babies have their own ideas, however, and part of capturing beautiful baby pictures is going with their flow. 

While a particular theme or props may be requested, these things will remain flexible and tentative. My vision for your baby's Grammy Pics will always be fluid enough to change and develop during the course of the baby's shoot as your little one's personality, preferences and mood come into play. 

If you have particular items you wish included in your baby's photos - a special blankie, favorite toy, family heirloom, etc. - be sure to mention this in your pre-session planning conversation so that I can do my best to incorporate them as I'm able. 

Once shooting begins, I will spend as long as necessary to capture the best images I am able of your baby. I won't say we're "done" until I'm sure we have several good images to use. This may take an hour or several as we find out what works best for your baby, stop for snacks, comforting, diaper-changes and even quick naps as needed.

A maximum of 8 hours of editing time is included with your session fee which will limit the number of images provided. While I usually end up with hundreds of exposures to sort through, your final edited images will be narrowed down to between a minimum of 20 and up to 40 files. If you have special editing requests (black and white, sepia, etc.), please mention those before your shoot ends. I cannot promise additional editing time to go back and add special processing to your images. 

What to Plan For:

• Do your best to schedule your Grammy Pics session for a time of day during which Baby is most likely to be at his or her best. A well-fed, rested baby is much more likely to be cheerful and playful for the camera than a little one overdue for a nap or just home from getting shots.

• Plan to have snacks on hand or be ready for between-shots feedings as needed. My goal is too keep Baby happy. Bring along or have ready whatever "happy" is for your baby - snacks, comfort items, favorite toys, etc.

• Bring/have on hand several outfits you would love to see your baby wear in his/her pictures. Make sure to point out any "must-haves" so we can start with those. Those tiny toes, perfect skin, squishable rolls and kissable cheeks are so sweet and adorable when babies are still tiny that I often prefer to keep them in their "birthday suit" for many of their shots. If this is something you are uncomfortable with, please be sure to mention this in when you schedule your session.
• Don't forget the accessories! While I have a growing selection of bits and pieces, be sure to bring along a collection of your favorite headbands, hats, booties, etc.

Questions/Special Requests

If you have any questions or special requests regarding your Grammy Pics session, please make sure to mention them when scheduling your appointment. My goal is for every family to both enjoy their Grammy Pics session and be completely happy with the results. The more information and expectations shared at the beginning, the better able I will be to reach that goal. 

Read More