“Color can do anything that black-and-white can.” ~ Vincente Minnelli
As part of my Junior League of Atlanta volunteer work, one of my placements is taking portraits of my dear friend that serves as our President this year for the League’s various publications. She’s also a regular client, and I have the pleasure of capturing the milestones of her baby boy, so this session we combined the two at a cool urban location. “A” is a verified fashionista (see this post about photographing her baby in her Hermes Birkin bag!), and when she showed up in her fab red coat and Louboutin boots, I knew we could have fun at this perfect spot. When I start the editing process, certain photos immediately jump out at me as being perfect for black and white treatment. Not only did we have some wonderful B&W portraits, but the session was a blast with the shots or red – perfect for holiday cards and coordinating with the Junior League’s signature red logo. And one of my faves from the session? The last shot of the day: a sweet boy loving on his mama! Enjoy!
I had supplied a giant red lollipop as a photo bribe, and he wolfed it down while we took some portraits of mom!
“I never lose sight of the fact that just being is fun.” ~ Katharine Hepburn
In December, I snuck in one last family session for holiday cards and gift canvases, and it was one of my favorites of the year, as I am very partial to winter whites! I was also excited because we were able to capture the last remnants of a beautiful ginko tree, and play in the fun yellow leaves! (Fun fact: Gingkos survived the Permian Extinction, back when dinosaurs were alive!). The first photo was used for the family’s holiday card, and every year it has a rhyming headline, so this year was “2010 in ends in a grin!” Gorgeous girls in beautiful December weather was the perfect combo – thanks for such a fun session together!
“Wear a smile – one size fits all.” ~Author Unknown
It can be a tricky thing, getting a genuine smile from your subjects. And with all of the kids and families that I shoot, I have some tricks that I can pull out of my hat to get those *real* smiles. One of my faves is having them say “Hey Lady” – and I have kids come up to me all the times and call me the “Hey Lady Lady” (or Ms. Flashlight, as I tell them because my name is a hard one!). This is a family I have shot for several years, and I can’t wipe the smiles from their faces when we get together for a session! This year we went “urban” with the black and whites, and the resulting images were not only fun to create, but are fun to look at long after the shoot.
“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” ~ Walt Disney
Quadruplets….I can only imagine in my wildest dreams what it must be like to raise four children of the same age. I had a very small glimpse of that task when I had the pleasure of photographing these four precious ones for their annual Christmas card. And while I can only imagine what it’s like to feed, clothe, put braces on, throw a birthday party for quads, etc. - their mom is truly expert in managing multiples. My favorite tip from her: she learned while becoming an expert in making cupcakes for the kids’ class room, it’s best to ice them the morning of. Thanks again for a fun day together that was definitely four times the fun!
Love these fun, bright coats!
“You’re never fully dressed without a smile!
Who cares what they’re wearing, on Main Street, or Saville Row, it’s what you wear from ear to ear and not from head to toe!” ~ Annie
What to wear?…that’s a question we face every morning in our house (or the night before if I am really on my toes!). And it’s a big question clients have, and I am always happy to give my two cents, providing a set of guidelines that offer food for thought before the shoot. For this session, the children started off in formal wear that they wore in a recent wedding, then we moved to casual family shots with bright pops of color. The formal shots I chose black and white to keep them timeless, and really captured the love these sweet sisters have for their baby brother. And how much fun did we have when it was everyday casual, which really captured the essence of this fun family. Hard to choose a favorite – think I’ll go with both!
“Enter His gates with Thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and bless His name!” ~ Psalm 100:4
With Thanksgiving just around the corner and fall in all its full glory, I had a session with a wonderful family at their beautiful home. I love scouting around to find interesting places, and loved entering these gates into their backyard. I immediately thought of how to style the family’s Christmas card, using the above quote and my first portrait below. Combine individual portraits of the children (and the boys goofing off while I was setting up another shot!) with a great family shot and you’ve got the making of a serious wall display of portraits!
HAPPY EVERYTHING!
I think everyone must love those weeks in December when every day you go to check the mail, and you get a fresh stack of holiday cards to sort through and see what family and friends have been up to the past year. My clients love to capture great portraits to use on those cards, and while some design their own card, I also have many that love to use my storefronts at Tiny Prints and Minted. For one family, I have shot their portraits for the past several years, and this year was our best yet. After getting some great “straight off tackle” photos of the kids, followed by some wonderful individual shots, we were done with the session. I suggested the kids shake it out, and after some goosing around, I suggested they pile on top of each other….and got the shot that made one of my favorite cards of the year!
Here’s how to click through to my storefronts!
Tiny Prints: www.tinyprints.com/storefront/christyfassnacht
Minted: http://christyfassnacht.minted.com
“THE STARS AT NIGHT ARE BIG AND BRIGHT, DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS!”
I graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and this past fall, I attended my 20th(!) reunion! My husband and I both graduated the same year, but didn’t meet until after college, and got married four years after that. So it’s pretty fun for both of us to go back and visit one of our favorite cities. I was also fortunate to have a few moments to shoot portraits for a dear friend right before all the festivities, and I’d say we captured them on a perfect fall afternoon. Mom used the first portrait for a bright and fun Christmas card, and it was fun to have the family dog participate too. And the gorgeous portraits of two young ladies will be a treasured memory. Just like whenever I hear the song above, I immediately want to join in the chorus and clap, just like Pee Wee Herman and friends!!!
Go ponies – looking forward to more Dallas sessions in the fall!
“A house is not a home until it has a dog.” ~ Gerald Durrell
Choosing a location for a shoot is always an integral part of the portrait process, and while I have many favorite spots that I love to take my clients too, one of the best locations is a family’s own home. For this fall session, we started at home, and captured the perfect picture for their Christmas card that included their super adorable dog, Jack (check out the perfect ivy wall that I can’t wait to use again!). And close by is a golf course, Cross Creek, with some great views, so we headed over to change it up for the end of the session. Add in captures that nail the children’s personalities (according to mom and dad!) and two more things I love in a session: no front teeth portraits, and some with mom! Another moment in time, saved on film!
“Well, color me happy!” ~ Vivian, Pretty Woman
I recently came across a note that I had started to jot, with no title but the following: “Pretty Woman”, “Overboard”, “Sixteen Candles”, “Can’t Buy Me Love”, “Cruel Intentions”, “When Harry Met Sally” … and then I figured it out – it’s a list I was compiling of movies that I love and will stop and watch anytime, no matter how many times I have seen it. And then I thought it would make the perfect post title to one of my favorite holiday sessions this fall: three beautiful girlies captured in all of their cuteness, with a couple of clothing/prop changes to maximize our time together. In addition to the outfits they wore to the shoot (including some photos with mom!), we added colorful coats to change up the look, and then finished up by playing in my collection of tutus. A fun shoot with great results!
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