Austin Family Photography – Shooting for Success, Part One: How to Dress for Holiday Card Photos

09.15.2014

Today is the first post in an ongoing tutorial series we call “Shooting for Success”, intended to help you get the most fabulous Austin family photos possible. We’ll kick out some ideas to get things started but would love your feedback too on any burning photography questions you have.

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Wouldn’t it be lovely if the answer to all of life’s big questions, such as “How the heck do I dress my family for a holiday card shoot?”, was as simple as black & white?

We’ll show just you how black & white is a major, blissfully making-life-easier trend for holiday card fashion this season, but first, here’s a few general tips from Ziem, our Photographer-in-Chief, on how to dress for a shoot:

Most importantly, try to pick outfits that everyone is comfortable in. OK, OK – as comfortable in as possible, that is . . . if your darling children are anything like my wildebeests, for example, the wearing of a dressy collared shirt might inspire much wailing. However, I’ve found doing a test run of the outfits does reduce (if not eliminate *sigh*) the day-of-shoot whining.

Remember those black & white, easy-peasy answers we promised you? It’s here in the form of a major 2014 fashion trend. Ziem has pulled some of her favorite new black & white looks for your photo shoot consideration:

To punctuate that wonderful black & white simplicity, consider adding some trendy metallic pieces for that extra holiday glow:

While we’re on the subject of holiday card photos, don’t forget that Ziem is giving away ONE free holiday mini-session! Details here.

Stay tuned for next Monday’s “Shooting for Success” installment, where Ziem will share with us this year’s best holiday cards, including one FREE template!

Austin Family Photography – A Texan is Born

09.11.2014

What do you think of when you think of Texas? A good ol’ pair of cowboy boots often springs to mind:

The Winslow family, recent California, asked Austin family photographer Ziem to create an authentically Texan photo shoot. They wanted something symbolic of their move to the Great State without resorting to too many props – we can agree that boots don’t equal props but necessary Texas accessories, of course.

This sunrise shoot was also in celebration of a certain little miss’s first birthday:

And while we’re on the subject of authentically Texan, we can agree that everything is bigger in Texas, right? And I mean that in the most-family friendly way possible . . . Ziem captured a shot of the kids just perfect for a large gallery canvas to hang in the Winslows’ gorgeous new Texas home:

Ziem & the Winslows immediately established a connection, that magical photographer-client something that turns into friendship. It doesn’t always happen, but when it does it’s a lifelong connection – and I speak from experience here as both client and friend (but not as president of Hair Club for Men.) (Terrible, I know.)

A family photographer should work with clients to carefully coordinate wardrobe & location, something that makes all the difference in a final shot:

And on that note – check back here next Monday, where we’ll be kicking off our first “Shooting for Success” series, this one on how to coordinate wardrobe for a family shoot. We’ll be posting a new how-to every Monday featuring different tips on how to get your newborn & family photos just right, so stay tuned for more & please let us know if there are any topics you’d particularly like to see covered – particularly if they involve cowboy boots . . .

{austin newborn photographer} little ray of sunshine

09.10.2014

“You’re so amazing, Ziem !! This day was so super fun & special!!!!” ~RS

An Austin photographer is spoiled for choice when it comes to staging a picture, between our springtime bluebonnets, our ever-expanding
skyline, or the setting sun over Lake Travis, but sometimes all you need is just the perfect little headband:

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Oh, and a stunning mother and daughter combo, like baby Sunny & Rachael, doesn’t hurt. Dad {who also happens to be a professional with a fancy camera} wasn’t able to make the shoot, unfortunately, but Ziem was honored to shoot this mother-daughter pair – and can you blame her?

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One of the keys to a successful newborn photography session is the trust a new parent places in the photographer. After all, the photographer is getting an intimate glimpse of that most precious time (and by “precious” we do mean “sleep deprived”) in a new parent’s life. Rachael was clear she didn’t want that perfect little hair bow to get too big but otherwise placed complete creative control with Ziem, a choice that yielded some spectacular shots:

In fact, the only potential hiccup in this blissful baby shoot was that Miss Sunny, slightly older than Ziem’s usual newborn shoot age of 10 days or less, decided that this was lights! camera! nap time! Definitely a photographer’s child.

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All’s well that ends well, though, particularly when “end” means “sleeping baby” and some gorgeous photos!

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Stay tuned for another example of a family shoot this Thursday. We’ll also be back next Monday with the first in an ongoing series on what our favorite Austin photographer thinks you should know about getting that perfect family photo.

ziem-photography-contributor-melissa

how to plan ahead for 2014 holiday cards

09.03.2014

UPDATE 10/26: We’ve added some new dates! Please send me a note for more details.

it’s that time of year again to get wardrobe- and photo-ready for holiday cards! *jazz hands*

how does a mini session differ from a full session?
regular photo sessions run sixty to ninety minutes in length at the location of your choice. mini sessions are conducted at a specific location chosen by the photographer and last 25 minutes.

may I book multiple mini sessions together?
you may book two or more consecutive sessions. in fact, it is recommended but not required that you book multiple sessions if you have a group of five or more.

what is the cost of a mini session and what does it include?
a non-refundable $150 is required to secure your spot. this includes: a consultation {to discuss logistics + wardrobe}, 25 minutes on location, an online gallery with 15-30 images for proofing, sharing and ordering, and three high-resolution images of your choosing + print release.

how do I sign up for a mini session?
contact ziem at 850.319.4591 or send a note to z@ziemphotography.com with your preferred date and time. plan to arrive 10 minutes prior to your scheduled start time.

what happens after the session?
within two weeks of the session date, you’ll receive a link to your private gallery. from there, you can preview your proofs, select three images for downloading, and purchase additional images, prints, or custom holiday cards.

what are available dates and times?
saturday, october 25th – ~~7:45am~~ {Escobeda}, ~~8:10am~~ {Ferguson}, ~~8:35am~~ {Agnese}, ~~4:55pm~~ {Dean}, ~~5:15pm~~ {DeMartino}, ~~5:40pm~~ {Compton}
sunday, october 26th – ~~7:45am, 8:10am, 8:35am~~ {Renteria}
sunday, november 2nd – ~~4:10~~ {Chen}, ~~4:35~~ {Less}, ~~5:00~~ {Shelly}

is there a back-up plan?
in the event of inclement weather, we will meet on sunday, november 9th, at your originally scheduled time. please be sure you’re also available on that date {just in case}.

please contact me to reserve your spot today!

The Greatest Teachers of My Life

08.27.2014

It is so true “the days are long but the years are short”. I can’t believe Zara starts Mommy’s Day Out next week and Tulsi starts her last year of Montessori Preschool. Where did time go?

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This was one of those rare days that Dad would be missing dinner so I figured the girls could use a distraction. Here is one of my favorites from our impromptu back-to-school session yesterday. It was entertaining to execute this all on my own say the least.

As I watch my girls learn, think, talk and grow, I realize they are observing the way we do the same. They learn more from what we are are than what we teach; Tulsi has Daddy’s discipline and thrives with direction, structure and order whereas Zara loves being social (so long as she gets a big block of time for decompressing after) and loves a great reason to laugh. These girls are my heart.

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